Caught You
by Dear Miss V
Summary: What if Mr. Carter survived the blast? Would there be a future for he and Miss Galindo? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

The cries were the worst. Actually crying of any kind is torturous to witness, be that from grief, sad music, nostalgia. What Laurentia Galindo was listening to was completely different however. It was a wail of agonizing pain. It shook her to the core as it resonated from the room down the corridor. It ebbed and flowed as Dr. Harrison slowly performed the surgery, it seemed to take a lifetime, though Laurentia supposed it had only been a matter of hours. The groans stopped for a moment with ragged breathing taking its place. Silence ensued. Laurentia stopped too, her heartbeat beating a tattoo in time with the clock on the mantle piece. Muffled footsteps came from the room towards them, and Laurentia braced herself for the worst, closing her eyes and offering one final prayer.

"It was a difficult surgery my lady, though I believe Mr. Carter will recover." The words were distant, only just being heard above the chaotic thoughts that ravaged her brain. Lady Ludlow muttered a reply, but that did not matter. He was alive. The thought was euphoric, Laurentia breathed easily for the first time since she saw the cart. "Someone will need to be made available for Mr. Carter's care".

"I will." She heard herself exclaim. Dr. Harrison and Lady Ludlow both turned to her, eyebrows raised. "It is the least I can do, I was after all his assistant in the office, why not assist him in this too?" Laurentia hurried to explain. Lady Ludlow inclined her head, "if you think that is best, then I do not see a reason why not my dear."

"Thank you Lady Ludlow, I do."

"Well it is settled then. I will keep Mr. Carter here over night to monitor his condition and in the morning I will have him sent to Hanbury Hall to convalesce."


	2. Chapter 2

Laurentia stood by the bedside and nodded absent mindedly as the doctor explained what Mr. Carter would need in the upcoming days. She knew how to take care of the infirm; she had been there when her father died, then her brothers, her only sister and then finally, her mother. Granted, an amputation was different to scarlet fever or alcoholism but Laurentia knew what she was doing when someone was bed ridden.

She watched his chest, the gentle rise and fall. He was even snoring softly. 'I will leave him in your care, Ms. Galindo. If you need anything please do not hesitate to call upon me." Once the good doctor had left, Laurentia sat down next to the bed. Lady Ludlow had wanted to make Mr. Carter as comfortable as possibly in the given circumstances. Laurentia doubted anyone could be _un_ comfortable in this room. It was in a secluded part of the house, though richly furnished and finely appointed. As much as she knew how to take care of the sick, it was easier to look after them if they were actually doing something. She really should have brought a bonnet with her; Mrs. Jamieson had ordered another hideously frothy piece and Miss Matty's much simpler widow's cap had been chewed to rags by Mrs. Forrester's cow Bessie. She really should be working, but what if Mr. Carter woke up? She spied his tightly shut eyes and deemed it unlikely. She stood up once more, deciding to have a servant watch over him while she went back to her shop and collect the bonnets.

Trying to fight the fog was like wading through knee-deep mud. No matter how much he wanted to Edward just _could not_ open his eyes. He heard a distant whisper, like silk running through your fingertips, a small gasp of pain and odd murmured word but could not tell whose voice it was. It was a comforting voice, seductive in its richness and depth, so much so that he succumbed once more to the encroaching fog.

Laurentia was beginning to worry. It had been days with little to no sign of improvement. She had not expected to feel this worried over someone she had a platonic relationship with. 'Only, it is not platonic is it?' She thought to herself, 'otherwise you would not be here. You would have sent a card and maybe visited to enquire, but not willingly volunteer to be his nursemaid.' Still, Laurentia could not bring herself to regret her impulsive decision. She felt something, that much was obvious, but she was afraid to admit it to herself.

Mr. Carter squirmed. Laurentia gave a start that was the most movement she had seen from him for days. Could he finally be waking up? She walked over to the bed to investigate. Mr. Carter had settled and was once more sleeping peacefully. Laurentia huffed with annoyance, she was fairly certain that this was not normal. Oh she knew how traumatic the surgery was on his body, at least theoretically, but surely he should have woken up by now. It was settled, she decided, Dr. Harrison would have to be called. She turned her back to the bed and walked through the door into the corridor, firmly believing that her patient would not wake up.

It is fair enough to say that the esteemed Miss Galindo was wrong, though she was not to know that. Mr. Carter cracked his eyes open, and then screwed them up. The light was too much. He felt odd; something was out of place. He tried to sit up but it hurt his head too much. Where was he? He looked around, it was a fine room, and then it hit him with a jolt. It was one of the children's rooms. He remembered the housekeeper telling him that all of Lady Ludlow's children's rooms were in the east wing, but were never opened. Considering that he had never seen this room before, and he prided himself on knowing everything about Hanbury, it must be a child's room. He swallowed, the children had all died; and why was he here? The throbbing in his leg reminded him. He pushed the thought from his mind; he was not ready to confront reality just yet.

Edward cast his gaze over the room once more and spotted a bonnet sitting on a chair. That could mean one thing. That Miss Galindo had been here, and that she would have to come back to retrieve the bonnet. The thought filled him with warmth. He did not care to investigate why, but it did. As he drifted back to a peaceful sleep, he wondered when she would come back.


	3. Chapter 3

"The truth is Doctor, that I do not know what to do. He stirred earlier, but beyond that I have seen little improvement."

Dr. Harrison nodded thoughtfully. He had already checked over Mr. Carter to ensure that there was nothing outrageously wrong with him. He had cleaned the operation site to ensure that infection would not occur. The best he could think of was that Mr. Carter simply needed to rest, that his body was recuperating from a traumatic event. The Doctor glanced at Miss Galindo who was standing at the foot of the bed, wringing her hands. He needed to convince her that everything was fine, and that Mr. Carter would soon wake. Judging from the lady's stance now would not be the time to discuss Mr. Carter's emotional needs afterwards though. Why was she so worried? He understood that the two worked together and shared an interest in the young lad Harry, but this was something else, something...deeper. Harrison shook himself, it was not his place, and he was a respectable doctor treating a respectable man. "Miss Galindo, I understand that you are in a stressful position, but you have done everything in your power to make Mr. Carter as comfortable as possible, that much I can see. I believe Mr. Carter needs to rest. Have patience Miss Galindo, I truly believe that everything will be alright in the end."

Harrison watched closely. The movement was infinitesimal. A breath released, a slight relaxing of the shoulders. Miss Galindo certainly was a controlled character, never revealing too much. Those two small movements were enough for Doctor Harrison. He bid his farewell, collected his bag and left the room. As he walked through the corridors a slight smile appeared. It may not be his place to speculate about his patient's relationships, but that did not mean that he did not approve of this particular one.

~/~

Laurentia sighed once more and continued about her work. She had been sitting in front of the fire in Mr. Carter's room now for what felt like an age. Work was going slowly, she would only get a few stitches in before her eyes darted up to check if Mr. Carter had woken or shifted in any way. She was frustrated with herself, with him, with everything frankly. She had no control over the situation; she could not just click her fingers and make Mr. Carter miraculously better. So she sat, slowly sewing, silently praying, and waiting, waiting, waiting.

~/~

Laurentia jerked awake, and looked into the eyes of Mary, an upstairs maid. "Sorry miss, but I have been sent to look after Mr. Carter", she whispered. Laurentia turned her gaze around the room, it was darker outside, nearing night, and the fire had been re-stoked. She had fallen asleep! How could she have done that? Anything might have happened. Is Mr. Carter okay? Does he need anything? Dressings changed? Enough blankets? Too many blankets? Has he woken up? There were so many things to do. She turned to argue with the maid but had barely opened her mouth before a voice came form the doorway. "On my orders, my dear. You have been here day and night. You need to eat and sleep properly if you are to be any help. Go home, I will send word should anything happen in the night." It was Lady Ludlow, Laurentia deflated, she could not argue and so nodded and stood stiffly. She looked towards the bed, to where Mary was rearranging the blankets over Mr. Carter. She swallowed and hoped beyond hope that he would be well soon.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a still night. No movement, no wind, and not a single cloud in the sky. The moon shone brightly through the window, illuminated the figure on the bed. Given the hour, one could be excused for thinking that the figure was sleeping peacefully, however nothing was further from the truth.

Mr. Carter was well and truly awake, awake and in pain. He could feel it in his lower leg, shooting up towards his hip. He reached down to rub the sore spot, and was met with nothing. Empty space, where his leg should be. The frustration and anger he felt was almost as tormenting as the physical pain, it lingered at the back of his mind. "You are a useless man now Edward Carter". That one sentence repeated itself over and over in his head, worming its way deeper into his sense of being. As if he had thought it so often that he was beginning to believe it. He lay there, staring at the canopy hanging over the bed as the pain started to slowly ebb away. He would have to overcome this, that much he knew. That or fall further into despair while trying.

~/~

Rarely was the village of Cranford so quiet, but then again it was the early hours of the morning. The ladies had yet to wake and move about, chattering and gossiping as they do. And so Laurentia had time to lie in bed and think. She would give anything just to see Mr. Carter open his eyes, the stubborn man. Only he was not being stubborn, was he? He was recovering and the doctor had given no reason to fret, and yet she did. The sooner he opened his eyes the sooner Mr. Carter would have to confront the reality of his situation. The man was without a leg. This was the same man who prided himself on his work ethic, his knowing every tenant by name and what they did for a living, whom their wives were and how many children they had. The same man who lived on the land. It would be a hard pill to swallow, but Laurentia knew he would rally- he would have to, and if not then she would help him. What had she said to Lady Ludlow, something about helping him in the office and therefore being able to help him now? Well, Laurentia was not about to step down, now was certainly not the time for that.

She shuddered and huddled further under the bedclothes. How close to death he had been. The worst thing was that he knew it. He knew that he was close to death when he asked to draft up his will. The question remained however, if he had been so certain that he would die, and now that he is alive, how will he carry on? How strong will his will to live be? She settled further into the bed, and rubbed her feet together. Oh dear. Laurentia sat upright. His will.


	5. Chapter 5

For someone who had to be constantly doing something, Edward Carter never would have thought that waking up could be so difficult. In truth, he was awake, but he was still in bed, lying down with his eyes closed. The problem was opening his eyes. After yet another night of broken, fitful sleep, his body was telling him to rest, but his brain was telling him to wake fully. It had become apparent over the course of the last few hours that if you are not using one sense then the others tend to work in overtime. As such, Edward's hearing was as good as ever.

There was movement in the house, footsteps coming down the corridor. Not heavy, masculine footsteps, but not light feminine ones either. Determined would the word he would use to describe them. Edward resigned himself to the fact that he would probably have to open his eyes, whoever it was; they were coming for him, especially in this part of the house.

~/~

Laurentia could not put her finger on what it was that got her heart pumping. It was a strange mix of anticipation and dread, though over what she remained unsure. She was back at Lady Ludlow's estate, after a few days of enforced rest. "You have been working too hard my dear, you will do more harm then good if it goes on much longer", Lady Ludlow had said, moments before telling Laurentia that she insisted she take two days off, instead of the originally proposed night. Still, she had a job to do, and she would do it correctly, and with that mindset she opened the door to Mr. Carter's room.

Laurentia did not even spare a glance at the bed. What was the point? No news had come during her time away, and so from her knowledge, nothing had changed. And so she set about putting her things away, and setting up her sewing.

A cough sounded from behind her. Immediately Laurentia whirled around and was met with a blue-eyed stare. He was awake. For a moment she froze, this is all that she had prayed for. He was awake. Awake and struggling to sit up. Laurentia shook herself and walked towards the bed to help him up. He looked pale and drawn. But he was alive, and awake and alive. That was all she could have asked for.

"It seems Miss Galindo, that you have caught me at a disadvantage."

 **A.N: Sorry this story hasn't been updated in so long. It's been a very busy time as I just moved literally to the other side of the world. But the story lives on! Please feel free to comment or review, but also please be gentle this is my first story. Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

" _It seems Miss Galindo, that you have caught me at a disadvantage."_

Well that much was certainly true, thought Laurentia; the man had clearly just woken up and was in no way ready to receive anyone. Still, what had she said to herself earlier? _I have a job to do._ "You should not tax yourself too much Mr. Carter, please let me help you." With that she grasped his forearm while he leaned forward enough for her to fix his pillows. He collapsed back, exhausted, his body not used to the movement after so long recovering. Laurentia stood back, straightened her dress over so slightly and looked about the room. As she turned back to Mr. Carter to ask him if he needed anything a maid walked in, and curtsied.

Mr. Carter, being the kind man acknowledged the girl with a small smile and nod, and said "good morning Emily". Well that was the end of the girl's silence, for she chirped back, "good morning Mr. Carter sir, are you much better this morning?" Laurentia, who had been daydreaming, brought herself back into the room in time to hear, "better than yesterday Emily thank you." Better than yesterday? He had been awake since yesterday? Why had no one told her? That was the agreement that she would be told of any developments. And yet here she was, standing dumbfounded in the centre of the room whilst Emily worked around her.

"Miss? Miss, my Lady Ludlow would like to see you in the morning room please." Laurentia turned around somewhat bewildered, and was met with two pairs of eyes looking at her. Emily was standing at the foot of the bed, Mr. Carter still up against the pillows. "Don't you worry now miss, my instructions are to look after Mr. Carter while you are gone." It was all sorted then, as Laurentia left the room she heard "now Mr. Carter, what would you like for breakfast, nothing too much, maybe some toast?" So he was eating too? Heavens how much had she missed? And why was she not called? Doubtless Lady Ludlow would tell her.

~/~

Edward wanted the earth to swallow him whole. How embarrassing! He did not in anyway want Miss Galindo to see him in that state. _It seems Miss Galindo, that you have caught me at a disadvantage_ , what was he thinking when he said that? The moment was awkward, they were looking at each other for a few moments in silence, so he had to say something, but that, and in his state? He had just woken up. Edward was sure that Miss Galindo thought he was an ogre already, especially after the comments he made about her being a woman. Why was the woman even here? Granted he had grown to enjoy her company, but that did not mean that he wanted her seeing him like this. It was shameful. He did not need a respectable, not to mention attractive woman pitying him.

~/~

She knew it was ridiculous, but every time Laurentia had to meet with Lady Ludlow she got a bit nervous. In truth she had no reason to feel this way, all of Lady Ludlow's children had died, except Septimus; so naturally Lady Ludlow had taken to treating Laurentia as if she were her own. Lady Ludlow still cut an imposing figure though, and Laurentia had never quite gotten used to it. "I hope my dear, that the respite did you well".

"Yes, Lady Ludlow, though it was a shock to see Mr. Carter awake. I thought I was to be told of any developments". Laurentia knew this was bold. The few days of rest had done wonders, and she was to thank Lady Ludlow for that, but she was annoyed over not hearing such important news.

"That as the agreement yes, but Dr Harrison overheard me telling a footman to send a message to you. He said to let you rest, and that you would find out in good time. I suppose I agreed, thinking it would be better for you to rest than to come rushing back here. Don't try to argue my dear, I know you would have done exactly that." Laurentia could not argue with that logic, for she would have done that. Lady Ludlow continued, "but you are back here now, and you may continue to care for Mr. Carter, though now he is awake we must sort out a chaperone."

Laurentia nodded, she knew that this would be the case. It would not be proper for her to be in the same room with a man for any extended length of time, but who would chaperone? As she was musing Lady Ludlow asked, "Who is that woman, she is of small build. I've heard the maids whisper about a pet bird..."

"Miss Pole?"

"Ah yes, Miss Pole. She will do excellently I think, we must ask her to be chaperone."

Laurentia almost jumped to her feet, anyone but Miss Pole. She was pleasant enough in short; sharp bursts but to be in a room with her day in, day out? That was beyond the pale. Still Laurentia had learnt long ago that what Lady Ludlow wants, Lady Ludlow usually gets, with very few exceptions. And so she could do nothing, but smile and nod politely while Lady Ludlow chatted about how well the pony was doing.


	7. Chapter 7

Laurentia was running out of time. She had only stayed long enough to hear Lady Ludlow send a servant to Miss Pole requesting her services as chaperone. This would not do! Miss Pole would be here any minute and Laurentia still needed to tell Mr. Carter that she was still in possession of his will. There was no time to do it gently now, she would have to be quick and to the point, though not unfeeling; the will was after all a physical reminder of Mr. Carter's own mortality. But one thing was clear. Laurentia had to do it now; she had to do it before Miss Pole arrived.

~/~

Edward was leaning back against the pillows that Emily had propped up for him. His eyes were closed and he was lost in his thoughts. Embarrassed though he was about this morning's encounter with Miss Galindo, he was immensely pleased. It was a source of comfort that she had been there, that hers was the first face he looked at upon waking. _You could get used to that Edward._ He shook his head to clear the thought. It was true, there were certainly worse things than looking at a beautiful woman, but this was by no means appropriate. And besides, what did he have to offer her? The woman deserved the world, and Edward could only offer her a life filled with struggle now, a lifetime of looking after a disfigured, legless man. That would only build resentment, and if anything Edward wanted her to love him. This would not do, it was much better to appreciate each other from afar he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted when the same lady burst through the door. She was lading with the top of her head; face down, one arm wrapped around her middle and the other up so that her fingers rested against her chin. She was clearly thinking about something then, that position was enough to tell him that, even without her quick determined stride. She seemed not to see anyone upon entering, so deep in her thoughts was she, and so she startled when Emily stood and curtsied to her. Eyes wide and hands now splayed like starfish, Miss Galindo took a moment to collect herself and listen to Emily as the girl informed her of what Mr. Carter ate and how much. Miss Galindo murmured her thanks and dismissed the girl before turning to the bed. Edward was fascinated; he had never had the opportunity to openly watch Miss. Galindo before. Watching her was like watching a play and getting utterly absorbed in the action.

It was his attentive gaze that met Laurentia when she turned around.

~/~

Oh gosh his eyes, they were striking. _But that is not the reason you are here Laurentia_ she castigated herself. Laurentia realised she actually had not greeting Mr. Carter this morning, so surprised was she to find him awake that it slipped her mind. She forced herself to speak.

"Hello."

"Hello."

It was a simple, though effective greeting and they shared a brief smile. Before Mr. Carter could say another word, Laurentia continued, "Mr. Carter, I feel I should inform you that we are soon to have company. Miss Pole has been assigned as chaperone while you convalesce." _Good Laurentia, be professional_ she thought. "In light of this I thought to take a moment to talk about a private matter."

Edward was concerned on two fronts, the first being that Miss Pole was chaperoning them. Edward had no issue with the lady per se; it was more the cloud of gossip that followed her that he took issue with. The second was this "private matter", what was it? Still, he supposed the only way to find out was to listen and so he nodded and simply said, "If that is what you wish Miss Galindo."

Laurentia squirmed, she dreaded having to speak of the will but it needed to be done and quickly. "Yes, Mr. Carter I do wish it. You see immediately after the accident you asked me a favour." She stopped, looking at him for any sign he knew where this conversation was going. Finding none she took a deep breath and continued. "Mr. Carter, I am not sure if you recollect this, but you asked me to write your will, and I am still in possession of it. My question is what did you want me to do with it?"

Edward's breath came out in a short gasp. How thoroughly humiliating. Now Edward generally considered himself to be a calm, reasonable man, but in that moment he saw red. How dare she come in here, pretending that everything was fine, and ask what he wanted to do with a will that he wrote when he genuinely thought he was going to die. How dare she bring those memories back? The pain and the reality of the situation were both very real and very raw. He wanted nothing to do with the whole situation.

He wanted nothing to do with her.

"What shall you do with it?" he spat, "Miss Galindo you should destroy it. Throw it in the fire so that it shrivels and turns to ash. Tear it in pieces and throw it in the river so the ink runs and the papers disintegrate. Do what you will with it so long as it is not on this earth anymore. And when you are done I want you to never stray into my line of sight again. It was a disgusting thing to do, to walk in here, all calm and ask what to do with a man's will."

The room fell silent. Laurentia fought to keep the tears at bay. He had said everything with a kind of deadly calmness. It would have been better had he screamed and shouted at her. But no, it sounded almost premeditated. Cool, calm and collected, that was what Mr. Carter was known for being and he had surely lived up to the expectation. Laurentia could do nothing, and so she straightened her back, threw back her shoulders and curtsied with as much dignity as she could muster.

"As you wish Sir."

 **A.N: Hello! I am so sorry for being away and not updating for so long, these past few months have been hectic. Hopefully you're still interested in the story! There's much more in store, so even if I do seem to disappear for a while please check in once and a while. Please also feel free to review, follow the story, or suggest things you want to see happening and I'll see what I can do, but please remember to be gentle. Hope you liked this installment!**


	8. Chapter 8

Laurentia had to make the effort to hold in her tears and she swept down the corridor. Safe to say that her meeting with Mr. Carter did not go as expected. She had to leave, say goodbye to Cranford, to Hanbury, to her millinery shop. But of course saying goodbye to all of that also meant saying goodbye to Lady Ludlow. That without a doubt would be the most difficult part, but it was a necessary evil. She could not, better yet would not stay here while Mr. Carter hated her she just could not.

Laurentia rounded the corner and arrived at the doors of the morning room. It was early still and Lady Ludlow would still be inside. There were voices coming from inside the room, Laurentia knew that it would be bad mannered of her to barge in a resign from her voluntary position, but if she did not do it now then she never would. With that she strode to the door and waited while the footman announced her. She had always disliked that, she could announce her self thank you very much, but needs must. As she walked into the room Lady Ludlow and Miss Pole both looked up. How was she going to do this? To be honest she hadn't thought this far ahead, but in this moment thought that privacy and discretion were the best options. "Apologies for the intrusion my lady, but I was wondering if I may have a moment of your time?"

"Of course my dear, you are most welcome. Miss Pole and I were just discussing her role as chaperone. What did you want to talk about?"

"A private matter my lady."

Lady Ludlow's brows rose ever so slightly, she was, after all, bred to never express any emotion. "Of course. Dear Miss Pole would you be so kind as to give us a moment? Thompson will show you to the veranda and I will follow you out presently."

Lady Ludlow waited until Miss Pole left the room before turning to Laurentia once more. "Now Laurentia, what seems to be the matter?"

Laurentia let out a shuddering breath. "I am afraid my lady, that I can no longer nurse Mr. Carter through his convalescence."

"Is that so?"

"That is so, yes."

"May I ask why?" Lady Ludlow queried. "This is terribly fast, he has not long been awake."

"A difference in opinion, my lady. We both feel it would be easier if I were... If I were to leave him in more capable hands." Laurentia was struggling to breath. She just wanted to go home and cry, cry and pack.

Lady Ludlow, maybe through some women's intuition, maybe through being a mother herself, noticed Laurentia was struggling with something, though she was not sure what. She put it down to tiredness and stress. _Poor thing she really has worked too hard._ "Yes of course, if that is what you both feel is best."

"We do, my lady"

"You must be tired my dear, you do not seem yourself." Lady Ludlow strolled over to the side table. She remembered that she had received an invitation to a house party in London that started within the week. "Perhaps you could use a break, get away from Cranford for awhile and spend sometime enjoying yourself. I received this yesterday, and I would like for you to go in my place." She presented Laurentia with the envelope containing the invitation.

Laurentia looked at the invitation. London! That was terribly far away. "My lady I can not accept this"

"No arguments Laurentia please, my mind is quite made up. You will go to London. You will meet new people and have an excellent time I'm sure. Meanwhile I will enlist Miss Pole as nurse instead of chaperone. It all works out rather neatly." If Lady Ludlow was being honest, she was rather proud of herself for thinking of this whole plan. Laurentia clearly needed a break from whatever she was struggling with and London would provide just that.

Laurentia was stunned. This is not what she had planned. _That seems to be the pattern of today does it not?_ Still she had never been to London, and with Lady Ludlow insisting she go, and Mr. Carter banishing her, there was no reason why she could not go at least for a few days. "Thank you, my lady. It is greatly appreciated."

Lady Ludlow just smiled. "My pleasure dear. You best go home and pack. It will take you a number of days to get to London. Stevens will be by with the carriage in two days time to take you to London. I expect letters detailing what I am missing out on."

Laurentia curtsied. "Thank you my lady. My letters will take up many pages detailing everything I promise." With that, she left the room with a small spring in her step. She was excited, going to London would allow her to clear her head and plan what she was going to do upon returning to Cranford. But she had to pack first!

~/~

Edward sat grizzling. He was torn. On the surface he was still angry with Miss Galindo, but deep down he knew that she did not deserve the vitriol that she received. Better to know that the will was in safe hands than in the hands of a questionable character, but he did not want to be reminded of its presence. He would apologise to Miss Galindo when she returned, because she had to return did she not? She was nursing him after all.

There was a knock on the door and Lady Ludlow and Miss Pole walked in. Miss Pole? Where was Miss Galindo?

"Mr. Carter I am sure you are already acquainted with Miss Pole? She is to be your nurse from now on, at least until Miss Galindo returns" Lady Ludlow stated.

"Returns?"

"Yes Mr. Carter. I perceived her to be feeling overtired and stressed. So I sent her away for a short time. Miss Pole is here to replace her."

"Oh", Mr. Carter said, dazed, "thank you, my lady."

"My pleasure Mr. Carter. I want you well again as soon as possible and besides Miss Galindo and the good Doctor I believe Miss Pole to be the person capable of ensuring that. Now I do not believe there is anything else to discuss, so I will leave you to it." Lady Ludlow smiled briefly and left the room.

Silence.

"Forgive me Miss Pole, but are we to have a chaperone?"

"Indeed not Mr. Carter. Lady Ludlow does not think there is need for one. We hardly pose as risks to each other."

 _And yet Lady Ludlow thought Miss Galindo and I were in need of one. What does that say hmm?_ Edward thought. Miss Pole was straightening the room and nattering away. "Now I will just tidy this room. Then I will thoroughly check your health Mr. Carter, that includes your bandages, I intend to this job properly as only a woman can. After that I say it will be time for lunch, shall I decide what you eat? I think that would be appropriate."

 _Good Lord_ , Edward thought, _surely this is punishment for my actions this morning._

 **A.N: Hello again! Sorry this chapter was so dialogue heavy but I feel it was needed. I promise things will get better for Miss Galindo and Mr. Carter! We're in for the long haul and things must get worse before they can get better. I'm going to try and update some more before the end of January as I'm traveling for about a month before uni starts back up again and I'm not sure what the Wi-Fi situation will be like, so please keep an eye out. As always feel free to review and all that jazz if you want to.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N: I only just occurred to me that I haven't done a disclaimer yet! This is a work of fan-fiction using the world of Cranford that belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and adapted by Heidi Thomas. I claim no ownership of the characters or the world of Cranford.**

Two days later and Edward had had well and truly enough of Miss Pole. The woman would not stop talking, or fussing over him, or gossiping about the other women in the village; she even went as far to pry into the private lives of the servants at Hanbury! It was proving to be a stressful experience and he longed for the quiet company Miss Galindo provided, at least then he could begin to mentally absorb his trauma and not worry over the staff being harassed. _That was harsh Eddie_. It was, in truth. Miss Pole was probably bored out of her mind by now. Edward spent most of the day sleeping or reading and as such was not the best company, but he _was_ wounded and s he did not see the need to play host and provide entertainment for Miss Pole. If Edward was honest with himself, and he prided himself on his honesty, he missed Miss Galindo. He missed her and was profoundly confused by it. They had never really spoken to each other outside the bounds of professionalism, _except for your outburst_ he thought snidely; in fact he did not really know anything about who Miss Galindo was when all doors were closed and everyone else had gone home for the evening... He sat up straighter; that was it! He would wait until Miss Galindo came by to see him, surely she had to, and he would make a concerted effort to acquaint himself with the real Miss Galindo, not the character she played in the public eye. Now all that was left was to plan what he would say, but he needed to know Miss Galindo's movements. His eyes shifted over to Miss Pole who was humming and embroidering in the rocking chair in the corner. _She would know._ "Miss Pole?"

"Oh! Mr. Carter! Was there something you needed? More blankets perhaps? Something to eat or drink? More reading material? That Dickens fellow you have been reading recently is hardly appropriate, why the other ladies in the village would be scandalised if they saw you reading that! Let me pick out something for you."

Edward grimaced, he rather liked Dickens actually, but it would not do to be diverted from his purpose. "No thank you Miss Pole. I was wondering if you knew of Miss Galindo's whereabouts? I assume she is busy with her millinery, however I need to see her... to discuss estate business." _There, that should put off any gossiping._

"Mr. Carter did you not know? Miss Galindo left for London this morning for a house party on behalf of Lady Ludlow."

"To London?" He stuttered.

"Yes, Mr. Carter to London. I believe she is staying with a close friend of Lady Ludlow's, a Lady Huntington? Yes that sounds correct. By any means, Miss Galindo will be away from Cranford for sometime. I do hope she enjoys herself; London has so much to offer. Perhaps she will even meet a young man to marry" she tittered.

Edward did not like that. He was profoundly against the notion of Miss Galindo meeting any man, young or otherwise with romantic intentions. _I want to be that man._

In the background Miss Pole was still chatting away, "of course, if it is about the estate, you could always send a letter. If you sent it today it would probably be there when she arrives."

"An inspired idea Miss Pole. Would you be so kind as to retrieve some writing implements for me? I have much to discuss with Miss Galindo."

As Miss Pole left the room, Edward was left with his thoughts. To London? When Lady Ludlow had said she sent Miss Galindo away he though she meant back to Cranford and away from the estate. London may as well be another world away. But he had to make this better; Miss Galindo had to come home. She had to come back to him.

 **A.N: A short chapter this time, but I felt Mr. Carter needed to have a moment to come to his senses. Things will get moving again in the next chapter. As always please feel free to review or follow the story if you would like to. All the best!**


	10. Chapter 10

London was overwhelming. That was the conclusion that Laurentia had come to within minutes of arriving in the city. There were just so many people and so many things to look at, and smell, and hear; she did not know where to start. And so she started with her bedroom ceiling. She was lying spread eagled on the bed, still dressed in her travelling clothes, her trunk by the door and her shoes wherever she had kicked them off; just staring at the ceiling.

The journey to London had taken longer than expected. There was a problem with the coach between Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham, and then there were further delays due to poor weather. By the time they had made it to Royal Leamington Spa, the coach that was supposed to by behind them by a matter of days had caught up and transferred other passengers and mail. All in all, it was not a pleasant journey. Yet Laurentia was finally in London and so she could begin to relax. Her hostess, Lady Huntington had been more than kind upon her arrival, and insisted that Laurentia head straight upstairs to rest, while she went through her correspondence. So that is what Laurentia was doing, 'resting', though her mind was a whirl of activity. _Maybe I will meet someone, someone tall, dark and handsome who will sweep me away to start a new life._ It was in equal parts a pleasant and heartbreaking thought. She certainly wanted to be swept away, but not by a stranger. _It will do you no good to think like that Laurentia; you are supposed to be looking to the future. It is time to give up on the past, and Cranford, and Mr. Carter and what might have been. You are not a young girl anymore; you cannot always get what you want. It is time to be realistic._

The harsh reality was though; that Laurentia was north of five and twenty, well past her marrying years as far as society was concerned. She was, put simply, a spinster. _And who wants to marry a spinster? Nobody._ The other harsh reality was that Laurentia had to marry. She had no choice if she were to move out of Cranford and sell her millinery shop, she had no one and no source of income, and so a husband was the only answer; a husband other than Mr. Carter.

A knock interrupted any further thoughts. "Come in," she croaked, wiping her eyes clear of any tears. Surprisingly it was Lady Huntington. "A letter for you dear, I thought I'd deliver it to you myself."

Laurentia straightened, "a letter?"

"Yes, yes. It must have come in on the last coach. The sender must have just missed you if it is here already. "

"Indeed they must have. Thank you my Lady."

"You are most welcome. Come down to dine when you are ready, or call a maid to fix a tray if you are too tired. We are terribly informal in this household."

Laurentia nodded absentmindedly, "I will, thank you."

With that, Lady Huntington closed the door behind her, leaving Laurentia alone with her thoughts once more.

She turned the envelope over and her breath got caught in her throat. It was from him. He had written to her. _What does this mean? Has he written to tell her he was glad to hear that she had left? Should I throw it in the fire?_ Laurentia could not bare the thought, the letter may well be the last piece of correspondence she would ever receive from him, and so she stood up and walked over to her trunk, opened it, and dug to the very bottom. She left the letter at the bottom of the trunk, underneath all of her clothes. Out of sight, out of mind, she would ready it when she feels emotionally stronger.

~/~

A touch over a week had passed with no word from Miss Galindo and Edward was starting to go mad. What more could he possibly say to convince her to return to him? In all honesty, probably nothing, he had behaved abysmally to her. Every nerve in his body was telling him to try and make the situation right, but he understood that this might be a situation that needed to be resolved on Miss Galindo's own terms. He decided that he would wait an hope that she would reply to him quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N: I don't own Cranford or any of the characters they belong to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas; this is just a work of fanfiction.**

Laurentia would never dream of being anything other than the picture of politeness and etiquette in public, but people are often completely different behind closed doors. So what was happening behind her closed door?

Laurentia was once more sitting on her bed, having just finished her dinner and gotten ready for bed. In the end, she decided to go down to dine with Lady Huntington, so far it was only the two of them in the house (excepting the servants of course), and she felt it rude to leave her hostess alone. Now she found herself fiddling with her hair and worrying her bottom lip, her eyes straying to her trunk. Lady Huntington had asked if all was well upon seeing the slightly frazzled state of Laurentia, it was at that moment when Laurentia recalled all of her training and calmly answered "yes, of course my Lady." If she were honest with herself though, Laurentia was afraid, afraid of what the letter said and meant, unable to bare the thought that the sender would express his hatred of her in the contents. Fear is an amazing thing.

She had to do something to take her mind of it all. Her belongings were still thrown around the room. Most unlike her, and so Laurentia stood slowly and began putting things away. She had refused the maid's help this afternoon, she knew how much the servants had to do in preparing for the party, at the time she had wondered if she would regret that decision, but that was not the case now. Her eyes kept straying to the trunk. _Surely a small look will not hurt too badly._

She was resigned. Laurentia stood, straightened her shoulders and strode over to her trunk. After digging to the very bottom, she grasped the letter and walked back to her bed. Taking a shaky breath, she moved a candle closer and slid her finger under the flap of the envelope. Taking the letter out tentatively, she unfolded it and brought it up to eye level.

 _Dear Miss. Galindo,_

 _I feel I must start only by expressing..._

~/~

Miss Pole was quite proud of herself, though of course she would never admit it. She truly felt of use at Hanbury. In all truthfulness, looking after Mr. Carter was not the most difficult of jobs, he read all day or attended to estate matters, occasionally asking her to run an errand for him. The Doctor said that Mr. Carter was recovering well, and that he would try to get him slightly more mobile. Exactly how the good doctor was going to do that was beyond Miss Pole, but that was not something to worry about just yet. If there was something that Mis Pole noticed about her patient, however, it was that he seemed restless and agitated; like he was waiting for someone or something. He would ask at least twice a day if there was any mail for him or if there were any visitors to the house. The questions came so often that she found herself getting annoyed. _That is the nature of men remember Octavia, they must know everything._ Of course, Miss Pole knew all of the coming, goings and happenings at Hanbury Court, it all made for terribly good gossip. _I wonder if Mr. Carter knows that the upstairs parlour maid is in love with the farm hand but they only see each other when he comes in for meals. He's probably not interested._

Miss Pole looked over to the man in question, what an interesting person he was. Such a shame about his wife, they made a lovely couple. This was a man that deserved to be loved and love in return. There were just so few women in Cranford that were of an appropriate age, disposition and rank. There was really only Miss Galindo. Miss Pole chuckled, now there was a confirmed spinster, she had been saying it for years and all the other ladies agreed. Such a waste it was! Miss Galindo truly was a lovely person, but she always looked so lonely...

Miss Pole sat up. This would be her project; she would play at being cupid and bring Mr. Carter and Miss Galindo together. It was the perfect plan! She would have the knowledge that she brought two lonely people in need of love together, and the two of them! Well they would find their soul mate. Miss Pole settled back into her chair smugly. Now she just had to figure out how to do it.

~/~

Laurentia could not read anymore. She was crying now from too many repressed emotions. Trying to read the letter had been foolish, she was not ready yet, but she had opened the letter, and read the first few lines. That was the first step. Maybe she would read more tomorrow. The letter was on top of her bedside table. That would be its place now; it did not belong at the bottom of her trunk. It was the last thing she had to remind her of him, and she would cherish it, no matter the contents.

 **A.N:**

 **Katie Duggan's Niece: Thank you for another review! It's very appreciated. I'm glad that was your reaction to the letter! Fear makes people do strange things, or that was my thinking behind Laurentia waiting to read it. I'm afraid I won't divulge it's full contents just yet though, so terribly sorry about that, but I do have plans so worry not! On your note about ladylike-ness, I'm not entirely convinced Laurentia is ladylike in the strictest of sense- I think there is something restless deep within her. However I will keep in mind that in terms of general disposition and personality she is reserved and ladylike, thank you for reminding me- so no flinging her on beds Disney princess style!**

 **Ooohhh. Guys I have something BIG planned for the next chapter, and hopefully I'll get the story rolling a bit more, please remember this is a slow burning romance! Hopefully I can get it to you soon though. If not, I'm really sorry, but I've just come home after being abroad for six months and my last year of uni has just started so I'm busy, busy, busy! As always please feel free to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N: I don't pretend to own the characters of Cranford they (sadly) belong to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas. This is a work of fanfiction inspired by the novels and TV series.**

Lady Huntington and Laurentia were alone for two days before the next guest arrived. In that time Laurentia learned that the guest was actually her hostess' nephew, a Mister George Blackwood. He was the son of a younger brother and so relegated to work for his living; he was a lawyer, though Laurentia was assured that he was "a jolly friendly fellow, charming you might even say, not stiff and boring at all like so many other lawyers". Laurentia decided that he sounded interesting and was looking forward to meeting him. Though she was not prepared for what she was met with when he was shown into the morning room.

Good Heavens was the man pleasing to the eye! He was tall, slender but not gangly, with a strong jawline, piercing green eyes, light brown hair that was neatly combed, and to finish it all off, a ready smile. The last was new and unusual for Laurentia, she was used to Mr. Carter's concentrated frown; but the smile was refreshing. The gentleman strode into the room with the confidence of a man at ease with himself and his position, almost a youthful confidence though he, like Laurentia, was closer to forty. His eyes rested on her for a moment before looking over to Lady Huntington. He smiled once more, his eyes crinkling at the corners and took Lady Huntington's hand in his. He murmured, "it is good to see you Aunty", in a deep, melodious voice. Lady Huntington's reply was much the same before she said "now George I want you to meet Miss Galindo, she is a close friend of Lady Ludlow's and has been keeping me company these past few days. You remember Lady Ludlow of the Hanbury Estate in Cheshire? Laurentia dear? This is my nephew Mister George Blackwood."

He bowed and she curtsied. Upon straightening, their eyes met, brown meeting green. His eyes truly were breathtaking. "Miss Galindo, how are you finding London? The Hanbury Estate is quite some time away."

"I have not yet had much time to explore London as much as I would like to Sir, but I find it to be a lively place, there is so very much to see and do."

Lady Huntington laughed at her comment. "Dear I imagine one could spend their whole life in London and never truly see it all... Now Laurentia, I have told you that we are informal in this household. I propose we call each other by our Christian names, I will not have you calling George 'Sir' or I 'Lady Huntington'! No, that will not do amongst friends! From now on we are simply George, Laurentia and Adelaide." With that proclamation, 'Adelaide' waltzed over to a sideboard and picked up a book.

A voice came from behind Laurentia, "are you shocked? My Aunt is a known radical, luckily her rules only apply whilst you are within the house, and outside only the strictest of decorum will do. I hope you do not take offense, I find her little rules refreshing, and I do try to keep her happy. May I call you Laurentia?"

Laurentia was still in a state of shock. She had never in all her years heard of such a thing as calling anyone by their Christian names, excepting family of course. London truly was a strange place, if this was accepted. Yet she did want to keep Lady Huntington, no- Adelaide, happy, and so she would have to consent, even if it went against everything she had been taught. "Of course, if only I may call you George."

"Only in private Laurentia," He replied mischievously.

~/~

Miss Pole was still debating how she would bring Miss Galindo and Mr. Carter together. How would she do it if they were still in separate cities? Should she suggest that Mr. Carter write her a letter? That would probably be the best course of action. But what would the letter be about, perhaps his slow recovery? Surely Miss Galindo would be interested in that? She was after all his nurse.

Doctors Harrison and Marshland exiting Mr. Carter's room interrupted her stream of thought. "Ah Miss Pole," said Dr. Harrison, "our patient is doing well. He is progressing faster than we originally thought..."

"However," Dr Marshland interrupted, "we believe that he would be better served if he could receive specialist care, that is, care that neither of us can provide."

"What does that mean?" Miss Pole queried.

"It means, Miss Pole, that we believe that Mr. Carter would fare even better if he were in London, with doctors who specialise in cases of trauma. You see we are worried that though Mr. Carter may be healing physically, his mental state may be wanting. The doctors in London can ensure that his physical and mental wounds can heal in the best possible way," Dr. Harrison concluded.

"I think gentlemen, you had best speak with Lady Ludlow." With that, Miss Pole led the two men down the corridor, in search of Lady Ludlow's ladies maid.

~/~

"To London?"

"Yes Mr. Carter, you are to go to London."

Mr. Carter looked at Lady Ludlow with unbelieving eyes. "Why My Lady?"

"Doctors Harrison and Marchland believe that you would heal better whilst in the care of specialist doctors," Lady Ludlow replied.

"Who am I to go with? My Lady forgive me, but I cannot do anything for myself." Mr. Carter was deeply troubled by this news.

"Mr. Carter you need not trouble yourself. A servant, James, will go with you. He has some experience with being a manservant at a previous place of employment. You are in good hands. However, Miss Pole is unable to go with you, she has her duties here. I will send a letter to Miss Galindo forthwith to alert her of your arrival. You will not be leaving for a matter of days yet, so there is time to get your affairs in order. You see, Mr. Carter, everything is quite taken care of." Lady Ludlow smiled sadly. "Your only job now is to focus on healing and on coming back to us." She patted his hand in an uncharacteristic display of affection, nodded to Miss Pole and walked from the room.

Mr. Carter was flabbergasted. London? Specialist doctors? A manservant named James? A letter to Miss Galindo? It was all too much to think about. He needed to rest and think. He looked over to Miss Pole, who was busy tidying the room. "Miss Pole, it has been a tiring afternoon, perhaps I will rest."

"Yes Mr. Carter I think that would be best. We can start organising your affairs when you wake," she replied.

~/~

Miss Pole could see it all coming together. Mr. Carter was going to London! This was exactly what was needed to bring Miss Galindo and Mr. Carter together, but she would not be there to orchestrate the affair. Perhaps she could do it from afar, instruct Mr. Carter to write a letter or a note to Miss Galindo when he arrived to London, and maybe present her with a small gift to remind her of home hen she was in the big city. It would have to be subtle whatever she chose. But of one thing she was sure, Miss Galindo and Mr. Carter would be together, whatever the costs.

 **A.N: A whole new chapter, you guys are spoiled! What will happen with George? Also I know that calling each other by first names is strange, but I think Laurentia needs a shock to gain some perspective, so please forgive me. As always please, please, please feel free to review and suggest things you would like to see. I read all the reviews and take them seriously, but this is a safe place so if you are new to this story please be gentle!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N: I don't pretend to own the characters of Cranford they (sadly) belong to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas. This is a work of fanfiction inspired by the novels and TV series.**

With Mr. Carter leaving for London soon, Miss Pole had to convince him to write Miss Galindo a note and select a small gift to remind her of home. She had already discreetly hinted that this was the proper thing to do, and while he was reluctant at first, she believed he was slowly changing his mind. _Men truly are stubborn as mules, my father was so, and he was a_ man, she thought to herself. Yet this was but the first step in his journey towards happiness with the love of his life, she reasoned. Of course Mr. Carter was oblivious to his feelings, so Miss Pole saw it as her duty to gently guide him down the correct path- and Miss Pole took her duties seriously.

~/~

Edward stared at the piece of paper lying in front of him. Miss Pole had told him on no uncertain terms that he must write a letter to Miss Galindo and tell her of his impending arrival to London. "Lady Ludlow has written to Miss Galindo, yes Mr. Carter, but do you not think that she would rather hear of this news from you too? It would only be the proper thing." Annoyingly, he agreed with her. Writing a letter to Miss Galindo would be the proper thing to do, the polite thing to do. He could send it when he arrived in London; things were much too busy now what with his imminent departure. But what would he say? He did not want to push her, but maybe he should suggest she visit him. Yes he would suggest she visit him at his accommodation, and offer to have James meet her at Lady Huntington's house to accompany her along the journey through London's perilous streets. They would meet on new, unfamiliar and better yet, neutral territory. He would ask about her time in London, and what she thought of it, about who she had met and what she had done. There would be no need to feign interest either, because he genuinely was interested in what she was doing. London might just prove to be an opportunity for them to start over, to actually get to know each other outside of the duties to the estate.

Yes, this second letter all sounded very good but it needed something more... Miss Pole mentioned a gift? He had scoffed at the idea at first but now he was starting to think that maybe she was right. _How do women always know what to do?_ His thoughts stopped in their tracks. What would Miss Galindo like however? She liked reading and sketching, that much he knew. So it was to be a book then. A book about drawing perhaps? _No Edward, don't be simple; she does not need you to tell her how to draw._ Or maybe a novel or some verse, she would likely appreciate that more. If Edward was honest with himself however, he did not know what he was doing. He had little practice in the art of wooing these past years since his wife's passing, and so was at a loss. _You know what you need to do old boy._ There was only one person he could turn to; Edward would have to swallow his pride and ask Miss Pole for help.

~/~

Days had gone by, and guests were slowly arriving to Adelaide's house party. Laurentia noticed that none of the guests needed to be told to call each other by their Christian names. It was astonishing; Laurentia had never experienced anything like it before. Miss Pole would certainly have something to say if she were to witness it. To be honest Laurentia was not sure if she liked being called her Christian name by strangers or not, she had always been Miss Galindo, that was who she was to the outside world. It was all a little invasive. It was fine between select people, she had even gotten used to it with Adelaide and George, and she now considered them friends, but being called Laurentia was deeply personal. George had seen her distress one evening, and deducing the cause, leaned over and whispered in her ear, "remember Laurentia, it is only within the house, and to the outside world you are Miss Galindo." Strange, he always knew what to say.

Oh George, he was wonderful, though she would never admit that aloud, that would be impudent. He was kind, and intelligent, and witty. He was similar to Mr. Carter in that respect. Perhaps that was the attraction, he felt equal parts familiar and mysterious, he was safe yet exciting. But Laurentia could not help but think that the parts of George's personality that attracted her were the same ones he shared with Mr. Carter. So what did that mean? Laurentia did not know what to think or feel. She felt cast adrift in stormy seas and was in desperate need of a safe port. She was comforted, then when she received a letter from Lady Ludlow.

The letter only served to confuse her more. Mr. Carter was coming to London, and could she please visit and watch over him? She was not sure that she was ready for this. Yet a part of her desperately wanted to see him, just to make sure that all was well, or as well as it can be. Maybe she could just... see him from afar and judge for herself how much he needed her. Perhaps she could ask George to accompany her, only as far as the door, she would not embarrass Mr. Carter like that. George could be a stabilising force in what Laurentia was sure to be a personally tumultuous time. She looked at the letter once more. _Lord, please give me strength._

~/~

"Miss Pole, I find I need your assistance in a personal matter."

Miss Pole startled. "Assistance Mr. Carter, in a personal matter? Would it not be better if I call on James? He has served you so well these past days."

"No thank you Miss Pole, I am afraid that James can not help me. You mentioned acquiring a small gift for Miss Galindo; I've decided that it should be a book. Only I am not sure what kind of book. You are reasonably acquainted with lady's tastes and fashions. Do you think you could get a suitable book for me? Something she would like." He said this all quickly, as if ashamed to admit to a lack of knowledge. Needless to say, Miss Pole was stunned and flattered in equal parts.

This would be her opportunity. _She_ would be the one to choose the perfect book that spoke volumes. Mr. Carter trusted her enough to leave the decision to her. She shook herself out of her reverie and noticed that Mr. Carter was looking at her expecting a response.

"Oh of course Mr. Carter. It would be my pleasure. I shall go to Johnson's this very afternoon and browse the books there."

There was an instant reaction in Mr. Carter. She did not know his expressions well by any means, yet she could see that much. "My thanks Miss Pole. I trust your judgment."

Miss Pole, smiled and nodded, "I will do my best, Mr. Carter".

It was not two hours later and Miss Pole was indeed in Johnson's perusing the books. There were books on science and gardening all the way through to theology. This would not do. How was she supposed to bring Mr. Carter and Miss Galindo together over an essay on the value of poetry? What was she to do? As she turned to leave she spied a small book with emerald green binding. It was inconsequential in appearance really, but something felt _right_ about it. As she gazed at the cover she realised why. It was a book of poetry, though she was not familiar with the poet. "Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, the Astronomer- Poet of Persia" she muttered to herself. Admittedly it was not something she would normally condone, she did not approve of foreign influences, and she was not even sure where Persia was. Yet Miss Pole could not ignore the feeling that this was the only book that would be suitable, she simply could not fathom buying another book. With that, she turned once more, the little green book kept safe close to her chest and walked to the counter where Mrs. Johnson was waiting.

~/~

Mr. Carter did not know what to say. He was not expecting this, a book of poetry by a Persian? Still he had placed his trust in Miss Pole and this is what she had chosen, it would have to be right. "Thank you, Miss Pole. This will do nicely."

"Not at all Mr. Carter, it was my pleasure. May I suggest something?" Here Miss Pole had to pause; she was about to make a bold suggestion.

"Of course, you have been a great help, what do you suggest?" Mr. Carter replied

"It is quite the fashion nowadays to write something within the cover, so that the recipient may remember who gifted it." Miss Pole said the last quietly, suddenly unsure of herself.

"Yes, I can see that it is a good idea. Miss Pole, would you be so kind as to retrieve a pen and ink? I would also like to be left alone for a small while please. These past few days have been rather tiring you see."

Miss Pole nodded, curtsied and turned to leave the room, but before she could reach the door Mr. Carter spoke again. "Miss Pole?" She turned back to face him. "Thank you".

~/~

Mr. Carter was once more confronted with an empty piece of paper and a pen. Perhaps he had better have a quick skim read, to gauge what kind of book this was. He read a few quatrains throughout the book before he found one he truly liked. Above it he wrote his note. 

~/~

Laurentia was sitting at breakfast when the butler came in carrying a silver tray. This was by no means abnormal. Adelaide regularly received mail, and so too did George. What was abnormal was that the mail was for her. There was a note and a small package wrapped in brown paper and twine.

The note was simple really for all that it made her heart flutter. It was from Mr. Carter, detailing where he was staying and asking that she visit him at his accommodation, stating that she need not fear the journey for his manservant, _manservant?_ James would meet her at Lady Huntington's house four days from now if she were to agree.

She was interrupted when the butler said, "the courier is waiting for a reply, madam." Quickly, and with little thought she replied that it would be a pleasure to visit him, and sent the note off with the butler.

The package was another matter. She excused her self and went upstairs to her room. Once inside, she carefully untied the twine and unfolded the paper. What lay before her was a book, entitled _Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, the Astronomer- Poet of Persia._ How interesting, she had never heard of it. As she flipped through the book she stopped to read a few lines.

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,

A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse- and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness-

And Wilderness is Paradise enow.

It was lovely. As her gaze wondered over the page she noticed a note addressed to her in the top corner.

 _Dear Miss Galindo,_

 _With my compliments._

 _Yours faithfully,_

 _Edward Carter._

 **A.N: Hello once more! For those of you wondering the poem is Quatrain XI from the 1859 edition translated by Edward FitzGerald (no the "enow" is not a typo). I was originally going to have the book be Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance purely because I had the pleasure of seeing Emma Fielding (actor of Miss Galindo) in a recent production, but it was written far too late and I couldn't make it work- but I feel the poetry works nicely. As always please feel free to review, I truly do appreciate it!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A.N: As usual I claim no ownership over any material. Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

Laurentia looked at herself in the mirror. She had changed so much in a short amount of time. She looked well rested, and felt _alive_ for the first time in years. It showed too. London was so invigorating and most of the company was all so new and exciting. Laurentia felt young again, it was intoxicating. Yet, there was one thing that had been worrying her. She was to visit Mr. Carter tomorrow, and her mind was awhirl. Everyone else had long since gone to bed, they had stayed up late the previous night and so decided an early night would be best. But she was wakeful. Time, since receiving Mr. Carter's note, had passed so quickly and she did not feel ready in any way, shape or form. How could she? Mr. Carter had banished her and threw their fledging relationship in her face. So she had come to London to escape only to receive that letter, not that she had read much, it still sat on her bedside table. She still could not bare to. Then came the request to meet her and the poetry book. It was a complete surprise. Laurentia worried her lower lip. What was he going to say tomorrow? What was _she_ going to say? Her stomach had been in knots with anxiety, all she wanted to do was get it over and done with and leave it at that. She would observe from afar, and be there to help of course, but anymore contact than that would be too painful. It was an act of self-preservation.

There was a knock at her door. She stood and tip toed over to her bed to retrieve her shawl. Upon opening the door, she was met with George, also in his sleeping attire, holding a candle. He turned at the sound of the door opening and smiled. "Laurentia," he whispered, "I saw the light of your candle beneath the door, and thought to check on you. It is unusual for the ladies to be awake at this hour." Laurentia looked back into her room, sure enough there was the candle still flickering. She had been extravagant tonight, burning her candle so late into the night. Maybe that was the effect London had on her, being surrounded by opulence made one complacent. She looked back at George, "Yes, thank you, I only find myself wakeful this evening. There is no need to worry on my account."

"I too, find myself wakeful. Come to the library with me, we can have a nightcap, that should help." George intoned. His profession suited him, Laurentia had noticed it before, but he had a certain way of persuading people to agree with him. But this was a most improper suggestion.

"Thank you, George. However I fear I must decline. If we were caught it would cause a scandal. You and I do not need that." There, that should do it. Laurentia nodded to him by way of bidding good night, and went to close the door when she heard him speak once more. "It is a good thing we will not be caught then. Come with me." Laurentia was in awe of his confidence, yet to meet with him in the library, both in their nightclothes, in the middle of the night, was simply too much. Laurentia sighed and said, "George, truly I cannot go downstairs with you. We are bound by propriety, and this is wrong. You know it is."

George only smiled and held his arm out for her to take, "Laurentia, truly, we will not get caught. Come with me." Laurentia was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and so would have to compromise. "One, George, then I am going to bed and we are never to speak of this again. Do you understand?" Laurentia did not like this one bit, but she had found herself in situations similar to this whilst in London. Someone would make a suggestion that would normally not be acceptable, and then keep pestering her until she reluctantly agreed. Laurentia looked at George again, he had a smile on his face, his eyes met hers as he said "I understand Laurentia, we could not tarnish that carefully polished reputation too much. One quick nightcap and it will all be over."

So they made their way quietly downstairs to the library. Laurentia jumped slightly at every noise, fearful that someone would find them. Yet no one did, not a soul stirred. Once in the library George indicated that she should sit, so she did, whilst he poured a small nip of brandy for them both. Laurentia's eyes widened which George noticed. "Medicinal of course, you have not been yourself these past days," he chuckled. What an impertinent thing to say! They had only met a week or so ago, he could not claim to know her in the deepest sense. Though he was correct, she had not been herself, she was that worried over her meeting with Mr. Carter. He handed her a glass and relaxed into the armchair opposite her. "So, we are to meet with this James man tomorrow, and he is to take us to meet your Mr. Carter."

Laurentia bristled. "He is not _my_ Mr. Carter, George."

"No? Why are you so worried then?" He replied.

"I am not worried George," she attempted to laugh it off.

George leant forward and placed his elbows on his thighs and looked her in the eye. "I disagree Laurentia. I think you are very worried. Whoever this Mr. Carter is, he means something to you. I think you are scared of exactly how much he means to you. You forget that my career rests on my ability to read people, and you have changed these past few days. Let us not pretend like you have not."

Laurentia could feel her heart beating in her chest. He had it in one, but she did not appreciate his manner. "Sir," she ground out, "you have been exceedingly rude. I did not come here to be interrogated like a criminal. I do not appreciate it."

George relaxed back into his chair. "Yes I suppose that was rude of me. I apologise Miss Galindo I meant no harm. I am concerned for you. I have one further question for you and then you may retire. "

"What would that be?" Laurentia snapped.

"Is there an understanding between the two of you? You would not be so worried if there were not."

"No, Mr. Blackwood. There is no understanding between Mr. Carter and I."

With that Laurentia stood, and returned her untouched glass to the side table. She turned once more and faced George. Pointedly, she sank into a curtsy, upon rising she met his eyes and emotionlessly said "Goodnight Mr. Blackwood."

He stood, bowed and replied, "Goodnight Miss Galindo, I will see you in the morning."

Laurentia turned and left the room with tears in her eyes. How had she found herself in this situation? _What were you thinking? Having a clandestine meeting with a man in the middle of the night. You have changed and not for the better. You need to reassess your beliefs; this has gone too far Laurentia._ Yes, too far indeed.

In the quiet of the library, George was once more sipping on a brandy, his mind miles away. Laurentia had not formed an attachment to this mysterious Mr. Carter. _Good_.

 **A.N: I must say that I didn't expect this chapter to turn out the way it did. It definitely signals a shift for Laurentia though. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please feel free to review if you have the time! I really appreciate it. Take care.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A.N: As usual I claim no ownership over any material. Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

Needless to say that Laurentia did not get much sleep the previous night. What had she been thinking? How could she have allowed herself to be seen in her nightclothes let alone go downstairs with a man? What would the ladies in the village say? What would Lady Ludlow say? The last thought provoked a shudder. Yet the event had given her perspective. She was slowly beginning to realise that her place was not in London. No she much preferred a walk to Hanbury than gallivanting through London and being called her Christian name. Last night's events were like a bucket of ice cold water being thrown at her, and so she found herself shocked and in need of comfort. The best way to do that, she reasoned, was to go back to social norms. She would insist on being called Miss Galindo and address all others in a similar fashion and talk of banalities like the weather, or just ask them questions about themselves so she need not talk too much. She would write to Lady Ludlow once more, to reconnect with the pre-London Laurentia so to speak. And ... And she would call on Mr. Carter, but only stay the requisite fifteen minutes, nothing more, nothing less.

As she made her way downstairs with her gloves and bonnet in hand she noticed Mr. Blackwood was standing in the door of the morning room. She had forgotten that she had asked him to accompany her this morning. She stopped a few steps up, though he had turned at the sound of her footsteps and bowed. "Laurentia, it is a ple..."

"Forgive me Mr. Blackwood but I would much prefer it if you would call me Miss Galindo" Laurentia interrupted. Normally she would never dream of interrupting somebody else speaking, but she had to set the boundaries while she was sure of herself.

Mr. Blackwood was momentarily flustered. Laurentia watched as he blinked several times while opening and closing his mouth. When he finally regained his composure, he smiled tightly and replied with, "of course, Miss Galindo, if that is what you wish."

Laurentia felt a small rush of triumph. "It is Mr. Blackwood, thank you."

They stood looking at each other awkwardly for a few moments, both lost for words. A bell chimed not too far away, releasing them both of the obligation of starting another conversation. Roberts, the butler, answered the door and exchanged a few words with the man outside before turning to Laurentia and Mr. Blackwood. "A man named James for you Miss Galindo. He says he is to take you to pay a call on an acquaintance."

"Yes thank you Roberts. Mr. Blackwood and I will be out presently" Laurentia smiled at him. She rather liked Roberts, his voice was comforting in a grandfatherly way, he could be gruff but he was always kind to her.

She turned to Mr. Blackwood. "She we go?" Upon receiving a nod she descended the last few steps and led the way out the door.

~/~

James had explained his and Mr. Carter's living arrangements. It was unorthodox, but because Mr. Carter was not in urgent care he would stay in a boarding house that was virtually next door to the hospital. He had been supplied with a wheeled chair for ease of transport. When James mentioned that his and Laurentia's eyes met, they both knew that Mr. Carter would not suffer that particular indignity well, not matter how necessary.

Then all of a sudden she was there, in the same room as him with no one else but James. Mr. Blackwood had decided to run an errand while she was visiting, so she did not have to worry. Actually she need not have worried at all for Mr. Carter was asleep.

"Yesterday's journey fair tired him out Miss, and we arrived so late. Though I think he coped well. Barely complained of any pain. I thought it best to let him sleep... we only have one chair so you had best take it. I will set to unpacking some more."

And so she and Mr. Carter were left in chaperoned privacy. This was what she was used to. This was normal. She checked his forehead, a silly thing to do for he was in all likelihood far beyond the stages of catching a fever, but she could not help herself. There was something within her that needed make sure he was well. She had disturbed a lock of his hair so she smoothed it back into place. She thought back to all that was said and done. Had it been worth it for the sake of their pride? Neither of them was wholly innocent in the matter. She knew what she wanted, no matter how unlikely; all that was left was to wait until he knew what he wanted.

She would have to call on him again. Never mind that it may be difficult for Mr. Carter to negotiate London outside this immediate area, she wanted to keep Mr. Carter and those present at Lady Huntington's party separate. He definitely would not approve of the state of things there. And, she reasoned, it would be nice to come here and truly feel like herself. This room was like a small slice of home in the crowded city. Besides, she was not doing anything wrong necessarily. It was her duty as a god-fearing woman to visit the infirm; it was a practice that went back to the beginning of time that is what she told herself at least.

Perhaps she would leave him a note in lieu of a calling card, not that she had one on her person. She noticed a desk over by the window and sat to start writing. She would notify James to the presence of the letter when she left. Taking a deep breath and then releasing it, she put pen to paper.

 _Dear Mr. Carter,_

 _It was a joy to see you safely arrived in London. Thank you for the book of poetry, I had never heard of the author before but I am enjoying it immensely. To save you and James the trouble I will visit you again. I will arrange a time with James. Mr. Carter, forgive my boldness, but if we are to move forward we must assess our situation. We both spoke hastily to each other and I fear that has done damage. I ask that before our next meeting you consider what it is you truly want and decide how best to move on from here. Perhaps I am selfish, but I have no desire to exist in a space between friends and enemies. I dearly hope that I am the former. However, I will follow suit whatever your decision may be._

 _Yours,_

 _Miss. Galindo._

She blotted the paper and folded it carefully, leaving it on the corner of the desk. It was a blunt note in many ways, but she felt she had to make her intentions clear. She and Mr. Carter seemed to communicate more honestly through letters and notes and she was tired of tiptoeing around the issue. Laurentia wanted stability, to know where she stood, whether Mr. Carter appreciated it or not.

~/~

"He will be dreadfully sorry to have missed you Miss. He will wonder why I did not wake him, but his body will heal faster if he can rest when he needs to."

"You have done an excellent job so far James. Are you sure tomorrow is a good time?" Laurentia replied.

"Yes Miss, tomorrow just after lunch. Mr. Carter should be done with his appointments." James moved to the door and held it open for her. "Now we will just get you back to Lady Huntington's house and we will be right as a trivet."

~/~

Mr. Blackwood was waiting for her on the footpath. He bowed to the both of them and asked, "all is well I hope?"

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood all is well." For a moment everything truly was right in the world. Laurentia had done as much as she can to deal with the situation; she had done what she said she would do. All that was left was to wait for Mr. Carter to make his mind up.

Once inside the hired trap, Laurentia found the silence stifling. Upon thinking about it, she realised she had never actually asked about Mr. Blackwood's career. She knew he was a lawyer, but what did he actually do? "Mr. Blackwood, what type of law do you practice exactly? I do not remember you ever saying"

Mr. Blackwood looked to her and replied with, "You do not remember because I never did mention it. I practice criminal law Miss Galindo." Laurentia blinked a few times and turned away. She did not know what to think, he spent all his working days around criminals, regardless of how proper his profession, is that really someone she wants to associate with? She had taken too long to make a reply and so she finally asked, "and what does that entail?"

"Well," here he paused, considering for a moment. "I am a prosecutor, so I work for the law enforcement rather than the defense. Only last week I won a case. The youth is waiting to be transported to the colonies," he finished.

"How old is this youth?" Laurentia breathed. She could not explain it, but suddenly she had a feeling of dread deep in her stomach. "He was a boy of twelve, convicted of theft. Apparently he was only trying to help feed his family, though they all say that. He will be transported to Van Diemen's Land and most likely live out his days there." The way he said that was so blasé, Laurentia could not understand it. Imagine sending a boy of twelve to the other side of the world, to Australia no less, with no one he loves or loves him near by. The boy, for that was what he was, was barely older than Harry. Laurentia did not even want to think about how she would feel if Harry were to be sent so far away, and never to be seen again only because he was trying to feed himself and his family. The world could be a horrid place, and Mr. Blackwood perpetuated it. Laurentia did not know what to say, and so she said nothing and so they continued their journey in silence.

~/~

Laurentia was sitting once more in her room after dinner. She had retired early and had no interest in staying up late once more, since the previous night she realised that she had little in common with the other guests. Luckily it would only be a few days until she would have to go home to Cranford. Laurentia had been very introspective over the past few hours. She came to the conclusion that she would stand by what she had done. At the root of the problem was the presence of Mr. Carter's will, and she still believed it was the right the to do to broach the subject with him. She would not apologise for that. So she would stay in Cranford, no matter what Mr. Carter said upon their next meeting.

 **A.N: Hello once more. I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it's good to see Laurentia being more true to herself. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Australia's history as a convict settlement, Van Diemen's Land (modern day Tasmania) was one of the few colonies still accepting convicts at this time as there was a push to end transportation to Botany Bay (Sydney) in the late 1830s early 1840s. So it seemed wrong to send the poor boy there. Also the term Australia in reference to the continent had come into use by the late 1830s as well, so there was no need to refer to it as New Holland or New South Wales, both of which technically refer to different parts of Australia- just thought I'd clear that up for anyone wondering. As always please feel free to review if you like!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N: As usual I claim no ownership over any material. Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

Edward woke slowly. He relished it, that slow trickling in of awareness that comes after a deep sleep. He had not slept like that in years, excepting of course those first few days after the accident. He lay there and kept his eyes closed, not yet ready to relinquish this feeling of contentment. He could hear James rustling around in the background softly whistling to himself. Edward was not sure of the tune, but it was not unpleasant. He stretched and resigned himself to opening his eyes. As he tried to sit up, James came over to steady him.

"Mr. Carter sir, you are awake. I am that glad you slept sir; it can only be good for you with things as they are. Dr. Harrison did say to let you sleep when you needed to. Miss Galindo agreed too..."

Mr. Carter interrupted sharply, "Miss. Galindo?"

James replied sheepishly, "Yes sir, she visited this morning as arranged. She was very understanding, I explained that the journey was tiring and that you were still healing." He noticed Mr. Carter's intense gaze this was not going well. " Miss Galindo did promise to return, in fact she will be stopping by tomorrow when you are done with your appointments. She said that she did not want to us to go to the trouble of navigating the streets with the chair. So it is all sorted really," he rushed to explain.

"You should have woken me James, but thank you. I slept uncommonly well." Mr. Carter had to relent; in truth he was not angry with James. The poor man only had his best interests at heart.

James visibly relaxed. Mr. Carter's approval meant a lot to him, indeed it meant a lot to everyone who worked at Hanbury. He remembered the letter Miss Galindo left on the desk. "Miss Galindo did leave this for you sir. She did not mention its contents." He handed the note to Mr. Carter and went about setting his patient's clothes for the day.

Mr. Carter tried not to tear the letter open. _Calmly and rationally Eddy. You are not a boy besotted with the girl from the farm over._ And so he opened the letter and read it over, and once more. Had she not read the first letter, the one that he sent when he first learnt of her departure? He thought he had explained everything, laid all worries to rest. Apparently he had not.

~/~

Laurentia was in the library once more, her mind miles away, she supposed she must have read the same sentence several times. She had not expected to feel this was after meeting or rather seeing Mr. Carter again. Indeed she had expected anger, frustration, and disappointment, even sadness, not this hopeful optimism. They had not even spoken! She had felt optimistic when she first met Mr. Blackwood for he truly seemed to value her, but she realised now that that same optimism was tinged with anxiety. But Laurentia did not feel that now, unfounded though it may be, somewhere deep within her she knew this situation with Mr. Carter was different.

~/~

Edward Carter never considered himself to be a vain man, but on the morning of Miss Galindo's next visit she found himself checking his appearance in the mirror James was holding for him. James had done a good job; Edward was now shaven, with combed hair and freshly pressed clothes on. To look at him from the waist up, one would think he had never had a leg amputated. Today was the day. He and Miss Galindo would finally have the conversation they so desperately needed to have, and he'll be damned if he did not look respectable for it.

Today was also the day the doctors would assess his leg and decide on further treatment. He hoped the appointment would go well, he was starting to get agitated. Edward was tired of being confined within four walls and only allowed out for brief periods of time. He was tired of only having a select few for company. That was not to say that he was not profoundly grateful to those people, he owed them all a debt, but he was a man used to being busy and at other's beck and call. Small talk between himself and one or two acquaintances was foreign to him.

James helped him into the chair and pushed him out into the hallway. Edward was once more struck by the landlady's kindness; she had cleared out a room on the ground floor, so there was no need to worry about stairs. _Thank goodness, what a trial that would have been._ As he and James made their way onto the footpath, Edward could not help but feel hopeful, today was an opportunity to set things to rights, and he would not waste it.

~/~

Laurentia took a steadying breath and made her way up to the front door of Mr. Carter's accommodation. A footman had come with her this time, and had been told to wait by the trap; she was not about to invite Mr. Blackwood again. She knocked on the door and waited. She could hear rustling, hasty footsteps and muffled voices coming from within and then suddenly the door opened. A middle aged, kindly looking woman appeared before her. "You looking for a room dear? You're that lucky, I am just about full up, one room left."

Laurentia was taken aback. "N-no thank you," she stammered, "I am here to see Mr. Edward Carter. I was told by his manservant James now would be a good time."

The effect that pronouncement had upon the woman was surprising. Her whole body relaxed and practically cooed "Oh Mr. Carter. You must be Miss Galindo. James did tell me, but things are just so busy here I must have forgotten. I am Mrs Walters. Come in dear come in, no good standing out on the cobbles." Laurentia stepped through the doorway and followed Mrs Walters down the hallway when she stopped and knocked on the last door to the left. James opened it and Mrs Walters said, "Miss Galindo to see Mr. Carter James." She turned to Laurentia then and said, "let me take your shawl and bonnet dear, I will leave them in the cupboard by the front door ready for when you leave. I will come back with tea in a moment."

After divesting herself of those items she looked to James. He looked fit to burst. "Hello James, how did the appointment go today?"

He bounced on his toes, for a moment he resembled a small child. "Very well Miss, but Mr. Carter will want to tell you all that."

Laurentia smiled and followed him into the room. Her eyes wandered over the room taking it in once more, and then her eyes rested on a figure in the centre.

It was Mr. Carter. Standing.

~/~

Laurentia was lost for words. This was the last thing she expected. Propriety eventually won out, and she curtsied, her eyes downcast lest either man see her tears. This was the best possible outcome, and what a miracle!

Mr. Carter responded with a bow at the neck. "Take a seat Miss Galindo. It is a pleasure to see you once more."

"Thank you Mr. Carter, and you as well... How...?" Laurentia was not sure how to finish the sentence.

Mr. Carter smiled and laughed. Actually freely laughed. "According to the good doctors I have healed enough to be fitted with a temporary prosthetic. I give my thanks to God, but also to modern medicine." He moved experimentally over to a vacant chair, he was unsteady and needed a crutch but he was upright. He waited for James to leave them in peace and then said, "Miss Galindo, I spoke in earnest when you entered. It is a pleasure to see you. But we have many things to discuss, perhaps we ought to turn to more serious matters first."

 **A.N: Hello, hello! A note about the prosthetic, for those thinking that it is way too soon. I did do my research and found that amputees may be fitted for a temporary prosthetic roughly two weeks after surgery; it just depends on the patient. I was surprised but gladdened by that discovery. As always please feel free to review if you would like, they make me really happy and I do take your comments into account.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A.N: As usual, I don't pretend to own anything. The world of Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

"...We have many things to discuss, perhaps we ought to turn to more serious matters first."

At that proclamation Laurentia's heart started beating rapidly. So rapidly in fact that she could hear it thudding and was worried that Mr. Carter could too. This was very quick, to talk through their issues was what Laurentia wanted, but she was not expecting it to be the first topic of conversation. Mr. Carter was a businessman, however, he was used to speaking bluntly and getting to the point. Laurentia's business, on the other hand, depended on her talking to her customers and gaining their trust. Women were finicky like that. Laurentia had never realised it but for all she considered herself equal to him, she and Mr. Carter were from completely different worlds. The situation they found themselves in now only emphasised that.

Laurentia nodded slowly. "If I may Mr. Carter, I would like to explain myself. It did not feel right to keep the will in my possession. I wanted you to do with it what you will. But I thought I was doing the right thing, and for that I will not apologise. My intention was never to hurt you though, and for that I do apologise, most emphatically." Laurentia would be lying if she said that she did not rehearse that little speech on her way here. It was too significant a discussion to get it wrong.

Mr. Carter inclined his head to the right, his gaze thoughtful. "I think, Miss Galindo, that I spoke in haste on that day. It was unfair and unkind. You have no need to apologize, I am sure that I would have done something similar had I been in your position. But I do have one question to ask."

"What is that Mr. Carter?" Laurentia breathed. This was it; her answer to Mr. Carters' question may well determine her future.

"You did not read my letter did you, the first one? I was just wondering why." He said it quietly, with a slight tone of disappointment.

Laurentia's heart skipped a beat. She had hoped to gloss over that first letter, but it seemed Mr. Carter had other ideas. She took a deep breath and swallowed. "No, Mr. Carter I did not read your first letter." She paused, unsure how to continue, looking down at her lap she realised that she was wiping her palms on her skirts. Her mother would not have been impressed, Laurentia noted wearily, it was a habit that she had yet to grow out of it would seem. Mr. Carter interrupted her train of thought, "why? Miss Galindo, why did you not read it?"

Laurentia stood and crossed the room, stopping by the window. She wrapped one arm around her waist and brought her other hand up to her chin, the classic pose of contemplation. "It hurt too much. I read maybe a sentence and could not bear to go further. I did not know what to do; I was going to leave Cranford maybe go to Manchester and open a millinery shop there. Our last conversation was horrid, and I felt that I could not stay in Cranford and help at Hanbury Court if I was not welcome." She said it all in a rush. Finally talking aloud about it felt cathartic, like a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Mr. Carter was stock still for a moment. "Not welcome?" He spluttered, "Why would you not be welcome in Cranford?"

Laurentia looked at him incredulously. "Because, Mr. Carter, in our last conversation you said that you never wanted to see me again. 'Never stray into my line of sight again' were your exact words I believe. So imagine my surprise when I arrive in London and there is a letter for me from you. I did not want to know, nor did I want to get hurt further." Tears were blurring her vision and running down her cheeks. She wiped them away angrily with the back of her hand.

Mr. Carter noticed this and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. "I cannot apologise enough Miss Galindo. It was thoughtless of me, and I regretted it almost immediately. Wipe your tears, now is not the time for crying."

He waited patiently while she composed herself and then said, "I know that I have said some hurtful things, had I been in the right frame of mind I would not have said those things. So I propose that we put the past behind us, we will start over, as friends. Does that sound acceptable to you?" Edward held his breath; he so wanted this to go correctly.

Laurentia was so confused. This was everything that she had hoped for, but his proposal still seemed like a complete departure from everything he said to her in that room at Hanbury. _You want this Laurentia; you have wanted to be his friend since you started helping in the estate office._ Laurentia looked to Mr. Carter and nodded slowly. "Yes Mr. Carter I would like to start over."

Mr. Carter beamed, straightened and held out his hand. Laurentia looked at it questioningly, an eyebrow raised delicately. "I mean to shake your hand" Mr. Carter chuckled. Blinking with understanding, Laurentia grasped his hand and shook it. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Mr. Carter." Laurentia laughed for the first time in what felt like an age.

"I know your name Mr. Carter."

"Be that as it may, but I believe that the done thing when someone introduces themselves is to reply in a likewise fashion", Mr. Carter replied.

Laurentia could only smile. The whole situation seemed childish and unnecessary, but it was charming nonetheless. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Carter. Please call me Miss Galindo."

Their hands were still clasped when the door opened behind them and Mrs Walters bustled in with the tea. She started talking before she even looked up, "it looks like it may rain out there. Miss Galindo dear you had probably best leave before it does or you will be stuck here. Normally I would accommodate you but I have no space." Mrs Walters looked up at the two of them; they both looked flustered like they had been caught doing something they should not. Catching sight of Miss Galindo nodding slightly, Mrs. Walters simply said, "I will let you finish up here, I will be right back with your things Miss Galindo." With that she turned and left the room.

Mr. Carter led Miss Galindo to the doorway. "Would you visit me again tomorrow please? We could go for a walk, there is a garden not too far from here."

"Yes if that is what you wish, Mr. Carter." Miss Galindo replied.

"It is" Mr. Carter said before the door opened to Mrs. Walters carrying Miss Galindo's things.

Once she was done putting on her gloves and bonnet, Mr. Carter led Miss Galindo down the hallway to the front door. They stood there for a moment, both looking out onto the street, while the footman pulled to a stop with the trap. Mr. Carter turned to Miss Galindo and bid her goodbye.

As Laurentia was stepping into the trap she heard Mr. Carter say her name again. She turned around and waited. Mr. Carter made his way slowly over to her and took her hand once more. She thought he meant to shake it like last time, but instead he turned her hand over and kissed the back of her hand.

He looked up at her and whispered, "There. We have made a start."

 **A.N: Happy Easter everyone! I'm sorry about the delay in getting this chapter up, but uni has hit me like a brick wall; so if there are more delays in the near future, just assume it's because of that. I hope you all like the chapter. As usual please feel free to review if you like!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A.N: As usual, I don't pretend to own anything. The world of Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

"Today is my last day in London."

The sentence hung in the air awkwardly. It was almost cruel really. Laurentia and Mr. Carter had rekindled their friendship in London, had finally started figuring out were they stood with each other, and now they were being separated. Though, Laurentia noted to herself, this separation was happening under far better circumstances than the first.

"That is regrettable, Miss Galindo", Mr. Carter muttered.

"So it is, Mr. Carter. So it is." Laurentia replied.

They were taking a walk, albeit slowly. The garden Mr. Carter had mentioned yesterday was lovely. An English country garden, it was informal, full of colour and surprisingly quiet. It reminded Laurentia of the gardens the ladies of the village tended to; it was like a small slice of Cranford in London. Laurentia wished she had brought her drawing utensils the garden was so picturesque. Her present company made things better of course. Mr. Carter, when not run off his feet on the estate was actually quite pleasant and good-humoured. _Best not to tell the staff at Hanbury, Mr. Carter would not achieve anything if they saw this side of him,_ Laurentia thought.

Mr. Carter was beginning to tire by now. Laurentia was not sure what his doctors would say about his walking for so long after such an injury but she did not want to dampen his mood. She spotted a bench underneath a tree and gently began to guide him over. It was June now, and the sun had actually begun to warm the earth, a rest under a tree would be most welcome.

"So, you go home tomorrow. Will you visit Lady Ludlow?" Mr. Carter asked once he sat down.

"Yes, I imagine I will. It is due to her kindness that I am here at all." Laurentia replied. They sat in silence for a while longer, relishing the feeling of being out of doors and in each other's company.

"And you? What will you be doing while you are here?" Laurentia enquired.

Mr. Carter settled further into the bench and pursed his lips slightly. What was he going to do? He had spent the majority of his time thinking about what he was going to say or do whenever Miss Galindo visited him. With her gone, London would be bleak. "I am not sure. I am allowed out now, so I may visit some of the sights. I have heard the Tower of London is popular nowadays. Maybe visit a museum or public art gallery. I must do something."

Laurentia nodded. In truth she agreed wholeheartedly that Mr. Carter had to do something. Knowing him he would become irritable if left idle. "Shall we head back? James will wonder where we are." She murmured.

Reluctantly they both stood. Returning to reality was harsh. They exited the park and upon rounding the corner were stopped by a small number of children following a middle-aged woman. They were small things, not particularly well dressed or fed if Laurentia assumed correctly. "Orphans," Mr. Carter intoned, "the sight pulls the heartstrings does it not?"

"Yes," Laurentia breathed. The children passed and she and Mr. Carter kept walking. Laurentia looked over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of a little girl with blonde hair running to keep up with the others. She was even smaller than the others. Laurentia's heart thudded. She looked forward once more and shook her head. This was unlike her; she had seen impoverished children most days during her stay, but for some reason that little girl had provoked a reaction none of the others had.

~/~

Back at the boarding house Mr. Carter was racking his brain thinking of ways to say goodbye. _I will see you soon? Until we meet again? Au revoir? No Eddie we're English. Farewell? No, no, no. Why is it so hard? Just say goodbye!_

"Goodbye Miss Galindo, have a safe journey tomorrow." _There, perfectly adequate._

"Farewell Mr. Carter. I hope you enjoy your time in London" Miss Galindo replied. "Please extend my farewell to James."

"I will, he will be sad to have missed you. I know he has enjoyed your company."

They parted ways and both let out shuddering breaths.

~/~

Mr. Blackwood was waiting for her. He had been hovering by her for the past few days. Laurentia was getting tired of it. It would be the normal interrogation. Where did she go? Who was she with? Was it that Mr. Carter? Why did she bother? Frankly it was none of his business, Laurentia was not sure what he even wanted out of this line of questioning. He started to speak but Laurentia stopped him. "Not tonight Mr. Blackwood, I leave tomorrow and must pack my things." She strode passed him and ascended the stairs towards her room, a secret smile on her face. _There, put that in your pipe and smoke it._

Laurentia had told a small lie. She did not really need to pack. She had done that this morning with one of the maids. So now she was lying in bed. Restlessly. She would have to do it. Early tomorrow morning, if she was to make the carriage home.

~/~

The next morning Laurentia woke early and got ready. She had slept on her decision and was convinced it was the right thing to do, no matter how quickly she had made it. She stole down the stairs and out the door, making as little noise as possible. She had had a brief and quiet word with Mrs Walters yesterday and gathered all the information she needed.

A while later she was standing in the doorstep of an austere building. The plaque on the door read "Orphan Working School". Laurentia was nervous. She had every reason to be, but it was the kind of confident nervousness that came with doing something right. The door opened and Laurentia stepped through. Following the woman down the hallway and into an office. She sat down and absorbed her surroundings. The office was dark and damp; Laurentia shuddered just thinking about the rest of the building.

"How can I help you?" the woman interrupted her train of thought.

"Good morning. My name is Laurentia Galindo. Yesterday I was out and crossed paths with some of the children who live here. I would like to inquire about adopting one of them, a little girl specifically. She was much smaller than the rest, with blonde hair, she was at the back of the group." Laurentia finished in a rush. It had been said, thrown out into the universe. Laurentia Galindo, confirmed spinster in Cranford, was asking to adopt a child she had only laid eyes on.

The woman nodded and leaned back in her chair. "Her name is Ada."

Laurentia blinked. "Just Ada?"

"Just Ada. She was left on the doorstep with a note. All it said was her Christian name and date of birth. She is about to turn six." The woman, for she had not even introduced herself, said that so emotionlessly. As if this was a daily occurrence. "You may adopt her, all you need to do is sign these papers and she is yours." With that, she rifled through a drawer and withdrew a handful of papers and a pen.

Laurentia's head spun. "May I not meet her first? She might not want me to adopt her."

The woman sighed, stood and beckoned Laurentia to follow her. Walking into a large room full of children she shouted "Ada! A woman to see you. Now!" Instantly the little girl stood and walked wearily towards the front of the room, curtsied clumsily and whispered, "Mrs Smith."

Mrs Smith turned to Laurentia and ground out, "five minutes, I have much to do. I would like an answer then." She surveyed the room once more, and left.

Laurentia smiled nervously and wiped her hands on her skirts. Kneeling down she said, "Hello Ada, my name is Laurentia." She stopped, suddenly unsure of what to say. Ada looked at her, her head tilted to the side.

"Are you here to be my mummy? A mummy and daddy took one of the other girls away last month. They seemed nice." Ada was almost embarrassed to ask, and so delivered her little speech in her customary whisper.

Laurentia smiled, "Yes, I think I may be. Would you like that? Would you have me?"

Ada tentatively reached out a hand and touched Laurentia's chin, turning her face this way and that, before looking at Laurentia in the eyes. "Yes please. You seem nice too."

 **A.N: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know the ending is a bit unexpected, but I had a feeling I wasn't able to shake. The original Orphan Working School on Hampstead road accepted children from the age of two, and it's for this reason I chose it. Beyond that I wasn't really able to find anything of its living conditions. Please feel free to review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A.N: As usual, I don't pretend to own anything. The world of Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

Ada and Laurentia were in the carriage on the way back to Cranford. They had only just made it, but had done so without running into Mr. Blackwood or Lady Huntington, which was a relief. Laurentia did not feel like explaining herself to either of them. Ada was sitting opposite her, looking out the window. Laurentia could not stop herself from looking at her. She was beautiful in an angelic way, petite, and rosy cheeked, blue eyed and blonde, she was the quintessential English rose. How could anyone just give her away? It seemed so heartless, yet, Laurentia supposed, if one were desperate you would do anything to survive- even if it meant giving up one's child. One thing Laurentia was absolutely sure of however was that she was extremely lucky to have this little girl.

Ada looked over to Laurentia. Is that what she would call her? She wanted with everything she had to call her Mum, or Mummy, or Mama, even Mother. Ada's nose scrunched, she did not like that last one as much, but at least it would mean something. She wondered what her life would be like now. What was her house like? Did she have any other children? Was there a new Daddy waiting for her at home? She hoped so. She really, really, really hoped so. Ada had made a promise to herself, she would be a good girl, and keep quiet and do her chores and stay out of the way. That is what Mrs Smith always said people wanted from children after all.

"Ada," Laurentia reached forward and tucked a stray hair behind Ada's ear, "are you hungry? I have some bread and cheese, it is not much but it will do until we stop."

"Yes please-" Ada stopped. She would have to call her something.

Laurentia smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sides. "Ada you must call me whatever feels right for you." Ada nodded. That solved that then.

"I like Mummy" she whispered.

Laurentia chuckled, "I like Mummy too."

~/~

Not even one day and he was already bored, which made no sense. How could one be bored in London? But there he was, bored senseless. Edward had enjoyed Miss Galindo's company immensely of course, but he had not realised quite how much he depended on it. _She left this morning Eddie, there is not one jot you can do about it_. He was sitting at the desk and looking out the window. The street was unusually busy today, with couples strolling arm in arm and businessmen striding down the pavement. Out the corner of his eye he noticed the stern woman from the other day leading her group of orphans. It was an even number of children this time, each having a partner in their neat two rows. He wondered where the littlest one had gone, the one with the blonde hair. Maybe she had been adopted by a nice couple and taken far away. He hoped so. She seemed like a sweet little thing... He had a sudden vision of Miss Galindo, standing in a doorway with a small child on her hip, smiling at him. His heart started beating faster with just that thought. He realised with a jolt that that one vision was all he wanted. Miss Galindo, maybe a child or two and a single roof over their heads. He chuckled to himself. _Good Lord Eddie, you have your work cut out for you._

~/~

Laurentia lay on her back with Ada curled up under her arm. She was thinking, something she seemed to be doing an awful lot of lately. The past few days had not been easy. Between the constant travelling and getting to know each other, both Ada and Laurentia's nerves were on end. Yet Laurentia was content, she knew that this would not last forever, that she and Ada would just have to settle into a routine in Cranford. Cranford, they would make their return tomorrow, and there was so much to do. Ada had packed very little clothing, and none that looked entirely presentable in polite society- Laurentia had lent her a shawl for the journey to hide the sad state of her clothes until they got home. There was very little money to be spent on new clothes, but that was no deterrent. Laurentia had dresses that she hardly wore and were still in good shape, and ribbons and trimming aplenty from her millinery stock, so she would take Ada's measurements and fashion her a few dresses. She would need to get started on that right away. Then there were issues with introducing the whole of Cranford to Ada- and not just Cranford but also to Lady Ludlow; doubtless there would be questions. What would she say? _I adopted Ada because I am in my early forties with no husband but thought I would like a child?_ It would have to do. Laurentia sighed into the dark; honesty is a virtue so they say.

She rolled carefully onto her side, and looked at her sleeping girl. The inn had been overbooked, and the only room available only had one bed. Not that Laurentia or Ada complained. Laurentia relished the opportunity to be close and it turned out Ada sometimes preferred it this way too; she suffered from nightmares and was a restless sleeper. Over the past few nights, even when there were two beds, Laurentia would sometimes wake in the middle of the night to find Ada sleeping beside her. Though, Laurentia noted, it would be nice if Ada did not feel the need to starfish herself out and take up most of the bed, but she supposed not everything could be perfect.

Ada had asked a number of questions this evening. She was jittery, chatting constantly. Laurentia assumed it was because they were going home, and Ada had never really had a home before. Instead all she had known was shelter, and that was something else entirely different to a home. The worst thing was, that they were questions that Laurentia had to answer with a "no". Questions like, "So you are my Mummy now, but do I have a Daddy?" and "do you have other children at home?" or "do I have grandparents now?" No, no, and finally, no. It was heartbreaking to watch Ada's little face drop with disappointment with each answer. Yet Laurentia had promised herself that she would try her utmost to be a good mother, and to make sure that Ada never wanted for anything, both materially and emotionally. So if that meant sharing a bed with the spread eagle that was a sleeping little girl or taking more orders for the dreaded bonnets, then so be it. Laurentia Galindo always stood by her promises, for better or for worse.

 **A.N: Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm excited to see how the residents of Cranford will react to Laurentia and Ada, and I hope you are too! As always please feel free to review if you would like.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A.N: As usual, I don't pretend to own anything. The world of Cranford belongs to Elizabeth Gaskell and Heidi Thomas.**

Miss Pole was not one to put any store in local gossip, but she figured this was a time for clarity. She bustled down the street, nodding to the other ladies and passing the display windows of Johnson's Universal Stores. Nothing could stop her; she simply had to find out if it was true.

She stopped at the front of Miss Galindo's door, slightly out of breath. She had rehearsed what she was going to say. Raising her hand she rapped on the door and took a deep breath. She would have to be considerate as this was a delicate subject. Footsteps sounded behind the door, Miss Galindo's maid of all work appeared and ushered her into the parlour. "If you will take a seat miss, Miss Galindo will be with you soon," the maid spoke quietly and left the room.

Miss Pole looked around her, trying to spot any evidence, but she was interrupted when Miss Galindo walked through the door. Miss Pole stood and curtsied. Upon taking her seat Miss Pole wasted no time. "Now Miss Galindo, I do hope your trip to London went as well as could be expected." Without taking a breath, she continued, "but there have been rumours that you have brought a child back with you. When I first heard of that I simply could not believe it, but the other women insisted that it was true. You see Mrs. Jamieson was about in her chair and claims that she saw you and a small child alight the stagecoach. As you know Mrs Jamieson is highly respected but I thought it best to see for myself whether this little rumour is true," she finished with a small, self-satisfied smile.

Laurentia, meanwhile, was stunned. She had hoped to introduce Ada to the residents of Cranford gently. Yet Miss Pole's presence in her parlour rendered that wish impossible. Though perhaps she could use Miss Pole's nature to her benefit. If she told Miss Pole that she had in fact adopted Ada, then there would be no need to go to each person individually, and no need for Ada- or herself- to deal with the other's shock. Laurentia smiled at Miss Pole and inclined her head. "Yes Miss Pole, Mrs Jamieson's account is correct. The child's name is Ada. She is almost six years old."

Miss Pole looked momentarily stunned. "So it is true? Though I suppose it is clever of you. Your maid is getting older, and no doubt she will want to have followers and what not. No it is far better to find a young child and train them up so you can get a good many years of work out of her."

This is not what Laurentia was expecting. Yes it was true that people hired young children to carry out odd jobs, but she was happy with her current maid, and she would not dream of hiring one so young as Ada. "Miss Pole you have misunderstood me. Ada is not here to be a maid. I have adopted her."

Miss Pole did nothing but blink. This was a completely unexpected development. Miss Galindo was a confirmed spinster, she had to resort to trade to support herself and now there was a child? Unimaginable. Miss Galindo was talking to her again. "Would you like to meet her?" Miss Galindo asked. Miss Pole just nodded absently, still getting used to the idea of Miss Galindo as a mother.

Laurentia smiled to herself, it was clear that her news shocked Miss Pole. "I will just go get her."

It was a small wait for Miss Pole. The door opened and Miss Galindo stepped through. Her skirts were skew-whiff, as if being pulled from behind. It soon became clear why; a little girl was standing behind Miss Galindo and clutching at her skirts. A small face peered out. Miss Pole was instantly enamored, the child was like a Botticelli angel. Miss Galindo smiled softly and said, "Miss Pole, this is Ada. Ada, this is Miss Pole. She lives not too far from here, so you will be seeing her often." The child stepped out from behind Miss Galindo, and performed a clumsy curtsy.

"Nice to meet you Miss Pole," she said in a small voice with her eyes downcast.

"The pleasure is mine Ada," Miss Pole replied.

Ada looked up and gave a grin; she had lost a tooth recently. Miss Pole was just about to say something when her eyes caught sight of the clock. Her fifteen minutes where up. She stood and curtsied to mother and daughter. As she was bidding her goodbyes she stopped and said to Miss Galindo, "As you and Ada are just settling in, I will tell the other women this afternoon. You know that I am not one to gossip, so I will only tell them that there is a child, that she is your daughter, and that you are not to be disturbed a great deal until you feel ready."

Laurentia nodded and replied, "thank you Miss Pole that would be greatly appreciated." With that, Miss Pole curtsied one final time and retreated down the road with a final wave.

~/~

It had been a few days since Miss Pole had visited and Laurentia and Ada were walking through the paddocks on their way to Hanbury Court. Well, Laurentia was walking. Ada was skipping and chasing butterflies. The truth was that Laurentia's stomach was in knots. Lady Ludlow could be a difficult woman to please, and Laurentia did not want to be the one to displease her. The sudden introduction of a child could do just that though. Laurentia stopped and looked behind her. Ada was yards away, picking flowers now. "Hurry along darling, Lady Ludlow is waiting."

Not too long later they were both standing in one of Hanbury Court's numerous rooms. Ada was once again standing behind Laurentia, and holding onto her skirts. Laurentia almost wished she had someone to hide behind too, but she had to be the adult in this situation.

All too soon Lady Ludlow entered the room. Her eyes landed on Laurentia and her eyes lit up. "Laurentia dear, it is good to have you home. I hope London did not prove too overwhelming for you."

"No my lady, at least not in the ways I imagined it would be."

"I am glad to hear it. Now shall we have tea? Perhaps on the terrace?"

"Yes my lady, but before we do that I have something to tell you," Laurentia hurried.

"Oh yes dear, tell me all about London over tea." Lady Ludlow was already walking towards the door, her cane tapping against the hard marble floors.

"My lady, in that case you might want to ask a maid to set the table for three."

Lady Ludlow stopped. Her back was rigid as she slowly turned to face Laurentia. "Three?"

"Yes my lady, for three. This is what I was trying to tell you." Laurentia slowly brought Ada around in front of her, hugging the girl against her front. "This is Ada, I adopted her whilst in London." Lady Ludlow's eyes only widened.

~/~

They were sitting at the table on the terrace. Lady Ludlow was watching as Laurentia spread cream and jam on a scone and set it before Ada before pouring her a small cup of milk. Ada eyes followed Laurentia's every move. Laurentia's news came as a surprise, but watching now Lady Ludlow could see what the two meant to each other. She caught Laurentia's eyes, now that Ada's were fixed on her scone. "How?"

"How?" Laurentia repeated, "It was simple really. I asked the landlady at Mr. Carter's boarding house where the nearest orphanage was, seeing as I had seen the orphans whilst taking a walk. She told me and I went there the next morning to adopt Ada before the stage coach left."

"Mr. Carter is involved in this too?" Lady Ludlow asked.

"Indirectly, my lady. I received a letter stating that he would be in London. I visited him a few times. He was walking and feeling better and there was a park nearby so we went for a walk. That was when we saw Ada and the other orphans. I could not shake the feeling that I needed to adopt her, so I did." Laurentia had forgotten during her stay in London that talking to Lady Ludlow was like confessing to a priest, one had to bare their soul.

"I see. May I ask why?"

"I was drawn to her. The idea of adopting Ada felt right. But I am also getting older..." Lady Ludlow started to intervene, but Laurentia help up her hand. "It is true my lady, and I have no husband, no other family. I was not happy being the town spinster with only myself to occupy the house. So I took matters into my own hands and made the decision to adopt." Laurentia stopped for a moment; she had not expected to be quite so emotional. "You should have seen that orphanage," she continued, "it was horrid. I could not in good conscious leave her there."

Lady Ludlow took a moment. It made sense. She had long thought that Laurentia sometimes felt her loneliness keenly, though she hid it well. Looking at her now though, she had blossomed; and Ada seemed happy. Who was she to question it? "I think you have done the right thing my dear." She smiled to her herself as she watched Laurentia let go of a breath and relax her shoulders.

~/~

It was early afternoon as Laurentia and Ada made their way home. They were walking down the street when Laurentia noticed the ladies of the town standing outside her door and talking amongst themselves. As she made her way to them they turned as one and faced her. They exchanged curtsies. "Ladies, it there a problem?"

"Not at all Miss Galindo," replied Miss Matty. "In fact quite the opposite, we have something to give to you."

"Give to me? I suppose you must all come in then." Laurentia was puzzled to say the least. She ushered the ladies into the house and brought Ada to her side. Mrs. Jamieson noticed immediately, in fact so did they all. Without waiting they all, one by one, introduced themselves to her. Laurentia had taken the opportunity immediately following Miss Pole initial visit to tell Ada about each of the ladies, so she would not be overwhelmed upon meeting them. She was proud to see Ada taking it all in her stride and curtsying to each woman. A moment later the attention was back on her.

"Now Miss Galindo, this may be unexpected but when Miss Pole told us about Ada we though we simply had to do something." Mrs Forrester breathed.

"Do something?"

"Yes my dear. You know just as well as I that when a woman is expecting a babe she receives some of the necessities from her closest friends and family." The voice was Mary Smith's.

Laurentia stammered, "well yes of course, but I am not expecting."

Miss Pole chuckled. "No of course not. Clever you have bypassed that. But we thought you could not possibly have everything you need. Little girls require so much care. We thought we would give you start." The women all reached into their baskets and pulled out packages and laid them on the table.

Laurentia fought back tears. "Ladies this is too much." The statement was met with protests to the contrary.

Miss Matty spoke again, "you may open them dear."

Laurentia turned to Ada, "would you like to help me?"

Receiving a nod she opened the first package, and then another, and another again. Soon the table was covered with dresses for Ada, and socks, and mittens, a scarf, a hair comb, a small book. Laurentia opened the cover and there was a note inside,

 _To Ada,_

 _My hope is you read this book and treasure it as much as my girls used to._

 _Yours,_

 _Captain Brown._

"Captain Brown requested I give this to you. He had business in Manchester" Miss Matty commented.

Laurentia nodded absently. The gifts were all simple things, but beautiful. For the most part the people of Cranford could not afford luxuries, but they had spared what little they had for Ada. The tears were flowing down Laurentia's face now. Ada reached up and wiped her face before saying, "something wrong Mummy?"

"No darling, these are happy tears. Nothing is wrong." For in that moment, surrounded by the women of Cranford, and with her daughter in her lap, nothing could disrupt the happiness she felt.

 **A.N: Hello! I'm sorry this update took so long in coming, but it's here now and I hope you enjoy it. I promise that Mr. Carter will appear in the next chapter. I just feel I needed to settle Laurentia and Ada a little before dealing with Mr. Carter again. Please feel free to review if you would like, they're always appreciated. Until next time...**


	21. Chapter 21

**A.N: As per usual I own nothing.**

Laurentia was busy. Now that she was back home and Ada was settled, the residents of Cranford had wasted no time in placing their orders for new bonnets. Laurentia's life for the past few weeks had been nothing but ribbons, lace and a curious five year old. Luckily the latter was no great trial. Ada had also been busy, she somehow managed to wrap each and every person in Cranford around her little finger. She was adored and spoiled. At Miss Matty's house there was always a biscuit for her. When Mrs. Forrester visited there was a new story about "Bessie Dearest." Laurentia was not one for spoiling children rotten, yet she figured that every once in a while was acceptable, and Ada had had a hard life before Cranford and deserved to know some of life's honest pleasures.

Right at this moment though Laurentia needed a pair of extra hands. It was baking day and Ada was in the kitchen helping the maid of all work with baking a batch of biscuits. Oat and raisin, if Laurentia was correct. Mrs. Jamieson was expecting a fitting though and Laurentia had dropped some pins which she _could not_ find. Laurentia was not comfortable leaving the house with pins on the floor in case Ada came in to play and caught herself on one. She decided to have Ada run a note to Mrs. Jamieson; she would be safe, cautious eyes followed her wherever she went in case she should fall or get too close to a nearby horse. Laurentia sighed in frustration and got up to write out the note of explanation before going into the kitchen.

Ada was covered in flour.She even had some on her forehead. How she managed to get it there Laurentia was not sure. _Can nothing go right today?_ Laurentia sighed once more, told Ada to stay there and went to fetch her another pinafore. Once Ada was cleaned up, Laurentia ushered her through the kitchen door while giving strict instructions to give Mrs Jamieson the note and then return straight home.

~/~

Ada was skipping home, midway through a daydream. The biscuits would nearly be done, they had gone in the oven just as Mummy came in the kitchen. Warm biscuits and a glass of milk while Mummy read some of the story Captain Brown gave her sounded really good.

A man was tying his horse at the post near the market cross. He looked up at Ada and beckoned her over. Ada was not sure, Mummy had always told her not to talk to strangers, but this man looked nice enough. She went over to him slowly and curtsied. The man crouched down so that he was at her eye level. "Hello there. Now I was wondering if you could help me. I am looking for a lady, her name is Miss Laurentia Galindo. Do you know her?" Ada nodded shyly. "There now, that is jolly good! Do you think you could take me to her?" Ada nodded again and gestured down the street. The man smiled and held out his arm for her to take. Ada had seen ladies hold the arm of gentlemen in London, and they always looked so lovely. Ada wanted to be lovely too. She took his arm, even though she had to reach up to do so, and lead him towards home.

~/~

Mr Carter was glad to be home. He rounded the corner onto the Main Street. At the other end a man and his daughter were walking arm in arm. It was a sweet sight. He stopped and nodded to a few of the ladies in town who rhapsodised about his recovery, and enquired about his well being. He listened to them politely and answered their questions before taking his leave, he had someone to see.

As he neared Miss Galindo's doorstep he heard raised voices. The door had been left open, which was most unusual. He could see a man was towering over Miss Galindo, yelling at her. Mr. Carter could not quite make out what he was saying, but he did know for certain that he had never seen the man before. All too soon the man turned away, upon seeing Mr. Carter he nodded stiffly, and then said over his shoulder, "I will be in Cranford for another week yet Laurentia, do not mistake me." And with that, he left.

Mr. Carter was stunned. He took in the scene before him. Miss Galindo was standing in the corner, her hair escaping the pins. She was breathing heavily, a hand on her stomach. He stepping in the room and her eyes darted over to him. They stared at each other a moment, but it was broken by a soft whimper from the corner. His eyes followed Miss Galindo as she turned. To his astonishment he saw a child. Who was she? She was crying at any rate. As he stepped into the room, he saw Miss Galindo bend and pick the girl up. He could hear her make soothing sounds, but the girl was not having it.

"I did not mean to. He asked to see you," the girl took a shuddering breath against Miss Galindo's shoulder, "he was nice Mummy, sorry. Sorry Mummy."

Mummy? That was not possible. No doubt he would get an explanation about the girl soon enough. Right now though, he needed to know who that man was. "Miss Galindo, that man just now. Who was he?" Miss Galindo's eyes landed on him once more, only this time with a haunted look about them.

"Mr. Blackwood."

 **A.N: Hello! I'm so so sorry this update has been such a long time in the making. The story is still alive and happening! I'm hoping to get another chapter out later today. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and followed the story, it mean a great deal. Also just letting you know that I'm thinking of starting an** _ **Anne With an E**_ **story sometime in the future, hopefully within the next month or so- what do you guys think?**


	22. Chapter 22

**A.N: I do not own Cranford, that belongs to Heidi Thomas and Elizabeth Gaskell.**

Miss Galindo had not wanted to discuss this Blackwood fellow in front of the girl. Since that man's departure, she had taken the girl into the kitchen and into the care of the maid and given instructions for warm milk and a biscuit to be given to the little one. Upon walking back into the room, Mr. Carter observed that she looked tired. _Exhausted_ was actually a better way to describe it.

"It looks as though I will have to have another talk to Ada about speaking to strangers," she sighed as she sat down. He said nothing for a moment, just sat and watched her. Her elbows resting on the arms of the chair and her forehead in her palms, she looked as though the weight of the world rested in her shoulders. He cleared his throat; her eyes flew up to meet his. "Miss Galindo… that man, that Mr. Blackwood. Who is he and why was he here, in your home, yelling at you? Is he… is he Ada's father? Does this all have something to do with her?" He did not know where to look. His eyes looked everywhere but her face. He had no place to be discussing _those_ matters with her. Yet, he reasoned, this was the woman he loved, and if she loved that little girl, then so be it. He could not help but to be concerned.

"No. Yes. Not really," she broke his chain of thought.

"I do not understand," he replied.

"Mr. Blackwood came here to talk to me, but then he heard Ada call me Mummy and then the conversation turned to just how she came to be mine. He was irate, I have never seen anyone like that before. He is not her father. At least I do not think so. You see she was an orphan. You and I actually saw her briefly on our walk to the garden that day. I could not for the life of me get her out of my mind, so I asked Mrs Walters where the closest orphanage was," she said. She must have seen the questioning look on his face because she continued, "Mr. Blackwood is the nephew of Lady Huntington, she is a friend of Lady Ludlow's and I was staying with her. She was holding a house party and he came along too. He was charming at first, but eventually he pushed my boundaries too far. I do not know why he is here. I am just as confused as you are Mr. Carter."

It was a great deal to wrap his head around. His Miss Galindo, and he could not help but to think of her as 'his', had adopted a child. She was now a mother. That in itself was colossal news. And he could not stop her from meeting eligible gentlemen, not while they had no understanding between them, but that did not mean that it did not hurt to think that she enjoyed their company more than his. What did she mean by pushing boundaries? Had he hurt her? Compromised her? There were too many questions.

"Has he hurt you Miss Galindo?" he asked in a business-like manner lest he let his emotions get the better of him.

"No! At least not yet, though I hate to think what he is capable of given his actions this afternoon."

She was scared, that much was clear. He decided to ask more about Ada, what she was like, and how she had settled in. He did not feel comfortable asking why she had decided to adopt, so he steered clear of that line of questioning. Miss Galindo chatted away, motherhood clearly suited her. "Though of course she is nearly six now, she should start to learn her letters and numbers soon. I am at a loss as to how to start that though, I have never had to teach a child before," she mused aloud.

Mr. Carter nodded along. Teaching a child to read and write was a difficult thing, the Lord knew how long it took Harry to catch on… that was it. He could offer to teach Ada in the afternoons and be there in case Mr. Blackwood showed up at her door again. That would put him more at ease. He did not like the thought of Miss Galindo and Ada being alone with that man. "I could teach her if it pleases you. I thought Harry after all."

"Mr. Carter, would you? That would be excellent. Thank you very much. I do not have much in the way to pay you with though," her voice drifted off as she realised that he would most likely want payment. He surprised her though when he said without missing a beat,

"Not to worry Miss Galindo. How does holding lessons just after lunch sound? If you are willing to feed me lunch I am more than willing to teach Ada a few days a week."

Laurentia saw no hardship in feeding another person a meal a couple of times a week. She agreed to Mr. Carter's terms instantly. The clock struck, the hour was getting late. She walked him to the door and handed him his coat and hat. He turned to her and asked, "tomorrow then?"

She nodded, smiled and bid him goodbye. She leaned against the doorframe as she watched him walk down the street. Mr. Carter was a good man, of that she was sure.

 **A.N: Hello, I'm sorry this has taken so long to publish, especially after I said I'd post one sooner. Somewhere between work, uni and my laptop breaking, life ran away with me. Thank you for your continued support though, I really do appreciate it! I'm not terribly impressed with this chapter myself, but please feel free to review if you'd like!**


	23. Chapter 23

Edward took great care in dressing for the day. His cravat was tied neatly, his collar freshly laundered and his shoes polished. It was the small things that mattered. He had realised that his offer, though made with good intentions, was quite rash. Lady Ludlow had hired him to do a job and teaching a five-year-old was not outlined in the job description. However, Edward mused as he combed his hair for the umpteenth time that morning, that was no reason to disappoint Miss Galind- Ada! … that was no reason to disappoint Ada.

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Little did Mr. Carter know but Miss Galindo had also taken care in her and Ada's attire. Nothing outlandish, just neat, tidy and respectable. Though Laurentia could not resist the temptation to wear the blue dress that was buried in the back of the wardrobe. It was her favourite, though she had always been slightly afraid to wear it- the colour was so vibrant compared to the muted tones of the rest of her closet. Today Mr. Carter would come to teach Ada her first lesson. Laurentia did not know how to feel about it all exactly. She was nervous, and excited. Which was fanciful of her considering there was no understanding between herself and Mr. Carter. But every time she tried to tamp that feeling down, it would rise back up soon enough. Laurentia had had plenty of time to think over Mr. Carter's offer. In the depths of the night it had struck her as odd that Mr. Carter offered to teach Ada in her own home, immediately after witnessing Mr. Blackwood's outburst. Laurentia could not help thinking that there was an ulterior motive to Mr. Carter's offer. Though, if she was being honest with herself, having someone else she trusted in the house would not be unwelcome. Laurentia trusted Mr. Carter implicitly, Mr. Blackwood she did not- at all.

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Mr. Carter was punctual, that one thing was for certain. He knocked on Miss Galindo's door at midday on the dot. Lunch was lovely, even if the company was quiet. Well, not all the company was quiet. Ada chatted away, not to anyone or even really about anything. She just chatted, her topics shifting from one to another before Edward had the chance to absorb what had been said. Laurentia was quiet, though not sullen. She just seemed tired, and grateful that someone was there to help entertain Ada. Despite this though, Mr. Carter was happy. This is the closest he had come to a family meal in years. Oh, he ate with the servants at Hanbury, but they were not really a family, were they? And any other time he ate he was by himself. No, he could get very used to having lunch with Miss Galindo and Ada.

After a time, he stood and said, "it occurred to me yesterday that while I am more than happy to teach Ada, I also have to work. So here is what I propose. I will take Ada with me to work in the afternoons as I walk the grounds and check on tenants. She is young to be cooped up all day, so this way she can start learning informally." Seeing the look on Miss Galindo's face, he hurried to add, "of course, you may come with us. The more the merrier." He laughed awkwardly. He was unused to waiting for approval, and yet here he was. Miss Galindo took a moment before replying, "let me get my things."

And so, they set out. They took a right out the front door, continued down the street, and then turned left up the little crooked lane leading to Mrs. Forrester's house. It was a short, happy walk that eventually lead them to the open fields of the Hanbury estate. Mr Carter and Miss Galindo walked in companionable silence as they watched Ada frolic in front of them chasing butterflies. Edward could almost _almost_ have tricked himself into thinking that they were going for a normal family walk, but he had to keep his wits about him. He had a job to do, one that was two-fold in helping educate Ada and protecting Miss Galindo. All too soon they came across a paddock of cows. Edward jogged to catch up to Ada before sweeping her up into his arms so she could see over the fence. Very slowly he started teaching Ada to count them. He would say the number out loud and she would repeat. All too soon Ada began to squirm and get restless. Miss Galindo seemed to appear out of nowhere, Edward had almost forgotten that she was with them, and took Ada from him. As she turned to walk away, she looked over her shoulder to Mr. Carter and said, "I think we might go sit under the tree over there, it is warm today and we could do with a small respite from the heat."

No sooner had Miss Galindo settled Ada had the little one fallen asleep in Miss Galindo's lap. Miss Galindo did not seem too bothered by this turn of events and started stroking Ada's head with her thumb in small, rhythmic movements. Mr. Carter stood there for a moment. He was struck by what an intimate scene he was witnessing, at how unguarded the two were. He became aware of himself once more, and realised he was the only one standing on ceremony when the rest of the party were on the ground. With some difficulty he lowered himself to their level. Miss Galindo noticed his brief struggle and asked how his leg was going. He replied that on the whole everything was fine. He had met with Dr Harrison upon returning to Cranford and would continue to do so, until the good doctor was satisfied with his recovery. He got aches and pains now and again and though his mobility was vastly improved with the prosthetic, his gait had yet to return to what it had been, and he ended up straining other muscles to compensate. At least that is what Dr Harrison told him. Miss Galindo nodded and commiserated about the pains before falling into silence once more.

"And you?" he asked, "how are you now that this Mr. Blackwood fellow is in town?" He waited with bated breath, it was a bold question. Miss Galindo took a shuddering breath before answering. "I hardly know really. A tad frightened I suppose, I never thought he would come here. I thought left him with no doubts as to my feelings when I left London… Apparently not," she finished with a bitter laugh.

Edward was not sure what to say to that, even though it troubled him deeply. He decided to change topics, "and being a mother? How are you finding that?" A small, tender smile rose on Miss Galindo's face. "Wonderful actually… exhausting… but wonderful."

Edward hummed in response. He was struck by the simplicity of her answer; struck by the quiet confidence she exuded. Miss Galindo had found in Ada a piece within her she did not even know was missing. They sat for a little while longer in the sunshine, with Ada's beloved butterflies darting about. To an outsider everything looked perfect. And it boiled Mr. Blackwood's blood.

 **A.N:** Hello! You've told me not to apologise for the gaps between chapters, but I do feel bad about it. Thank you all for sticking with me. Just a quick note about the term 'lunch' used here. A midday lunch or luncheon was a thing in the early Victoria Era, though was largely seen as a meal hosted by ladies for ladies. That being said, the meal in the middle of the day could have also been called dinner, and the evening meal would be called supper or perhaps 'tea' as it's known in the North of England. The Victorian period was a time of great change, and so when working hours grew longer and more standardised, the main meal got pushed back into the evening and was called dinner, and the midday meal called lunch. Though you still might find people from older generations calling lunch 'dinner'. It's all very confusing, but I hope that this explanation has clearing things up. I chose for Mr. Carter to have lunch, at first because that's the term I use, but also because it seems appropriate that Mr. Carter would be more open to having an apparently feminine meal when he lives in a town of women. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


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